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The Hall-mark of Quality 



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July, 1915 



Number 1 



PRESS OF 
PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 
Hartford, Conn. 






GIFT 
AUTHOR 

SEP 8 'a 



A MESSAGE 

TO OUR INDUSTRIAL FAMILY. 

From the "G. M." 

Many firms and corporations publish so- 
called house organs. Some are intended to 
reach the trade, others to reach only their 
employees. Many times I have^asked myself 
the question, would a house organ (so called) 
have any value for the members of our indus- 
trial family. There are many such publica- 
tions but few, it has seemed to me, have a 
real value and I have often wondered if they 
were worth their cost. 

I do not remember ever to have seen just 
such a publication as I have had in mind, 
which was intended only for the employees, 
but the thought has grown on me that a house 
organ which had a purpose, to reach perhaps 
not all the employees at first, but the Mana- 
gers, Assistant Managers, Superintendents, 
Ass't Superintendents, Salesmen, Foremen 
and the more prominent employees in the 
offices and factories, might be worth while. 
What might be called, if you please, the line 
and staff officers of our industrial family. 
Later this list could be extended to include 
such others as might express a desire to be 
included, and my hope would be that many 
would so desire. 

This publication should not be a collection 
of gossip. It should say something worth 
while. One issue might be short and another 



long, and nothing in it should ever be written 
simply to fill space and it should not be issued 
at all unless it had a helpful message. I do 
not think its issue must of necessity be regular, 
though regularity of issue might have some 
advantages; one month there might be one 
issue and another month two issues and the 
next month perhaps none at all. It might 
not always deal entirely or directly with the 
commercial business of the company. In 
fact, I can conceive of such a publication as 
having a distinct value just to take a person's 
thought, for the time being, away from the 
business of the company and make him think 
of something beside the shop. For example, 
such letters as I wrote home on my trip to 
South America in 1913, and as Mr. Wm. 0. 
Day has just written from New Orleans, 
San Antonio, Los Angeles and San Francisco, 
Seattle, etc., would find a place in such a 
publication and would have an interested 
circle of readers. 

I do not think I can better describe just 
what I have had in mind for a number of 
years, than to repeat a conversation which 
I had with a gentleman some four or five 
years ago. I was asked to join an organiza- 
tion, and declined, saying I belonged to too 
many organizations now, and I was not going 
to join any more. But I said I would like to 
belong to an aggregation (which is different 
from an organization) which has no Presi- 
dent, Secretary, Treasurer, Board of Direc- 
tors, no annual meeting or annual dues, com- 
posed of say about a dozen or fifteen kindred 
souls, each one of whom would, if he had 



A MESSAGE 

TO OUR INDUSTRIAL FAMILY. 

From the "G. M." 

Many firms and corporations publish so- 
called house organs. Some are intended to 
reach the trade, others to reach only their 
employees. Many times I have asked myself 
the question, would a house organ (so called) 
have any value for the members of our indus- 
trial family. There are many such publica- 
tions but few, it has seemed to me, have a 
real value and I have often wondered if they 
were worth their cost. 

I do not remember ever to have seen just 
such a publication as I have had in mind, 
which was intended only for the employees, 
but the thought has grown on me that a house 
organ which had a purpose, to reach perhaps 
not all the employees at first, but the Mana- 
gers, Assistant Managers, Superintendents, 
Ass't Superintendents, Salesmen, Foremen 
and the more prominent employees in the 
offices and factories, might be worth while. 
What might be called, if you please, the line 
and stafj officers of our industrial family. 
Later this list could be extended to include 
such others as might express a desire to be 
included, and my hope would be that many 
would so desire. 

This publication should not be a collection 
of gossip. It should say something worth 
while. One issue might be short and another 



long, and nothing in it should ever be written 
simply to fill space and it should not be issued 
at all unless it had a helpful message. I do 
not think its issue must of necessity be regular, 
though regularity of issue might have some 
advantages; one month there might be one 
issue and another month two issues and the 
next month perhaps none at all. It might 
not always deal entirely or directly with the 
commercial business of the company. In 
fact, I can conceive of such a publication as 
having a distinct value just to take a person's 
thought, for the time being, away from the 
business of the company and make him think 
of something beside the shop. For example, 
such letters as I wrote home on my trip to 
South America in 1913, and as Mr. Wm. 0. 
Day has just written from New Orleans, 
San Antonio, Los Angeles and San Francisco, 
Seattle, etc., would find a place in such a 
publication and would have an interested 
circle of readers. 

I do not think I can better describe just 
what I have had in mind for a number of 
years, than to repeat a conversation which 
I had with a gentleman some four or five 
years ago. I was asked to join an organiza- 
tion, and declined, saying I belonged to too 
many organizations now, and I was not going 
to join any more. But I said I would like to 
belong to an aggregation (which is different 
from an organization) which has no Presi- 
dent, Secretary, Treasurer, Board of Direc- 
tors, no annual meeting or annual dues, com- 
posed of say about a dozen or fifteen kindred 
souls, each one of whom would, if he had 



seen a picture, heard a sermon or a lecture, 
had taken a walk or been fishing or hunting, 
heard a good story, had read a book, a poem or 
a newspaper or magazine article, would think 
of me and say — "That would interest Mr. 
Logan ; I will write him a letter calling atten- 
tion to it." I would like to belong to that 
kind of an aggregation. 

With such a publication any. member of our 
industrial family who had read a book, news- 
paper or magazine article which had inter- 
ested him or who felt moved to write, could 
bring his thoughts to the attention of the 
other members of our family, such a pub- 
lication would, it seems to me, be worth while. 

About a year ago, by chance, I became ac- 
quainted with a man who was doing just that 
thing. I have so far never met him, though 
we have written one another a dozen times 
within a year. He is about thirty years of 
age. In his early youth he was intended for 
the priesthood, but when almost ready to 
enter the priesthood said: "No, that is 
not to be my field of labor." Why this 
decision? I do not know. I do not know 
that he himself knows, but he stopped and 
did not enter the priesthood. He is evidently 
a man of fine feeling and through all his 
writing there runs a strain of the spiritual 
(which we need today, the spiritual is in 
large measure too often crowded out of our 
lives by the commercial), and we need the 
spiritual to keep us true to the course. This 
man's writing is so perfectly natural that the 
spiritual seems never out of place, and there 



is in all his writing "an accent as of Galilee." 
All his work, like all of ours, is not of the 
same quality — it bears the mark of human 
imperfection. That is, perhaps, why it 
appeals to us; because it is human and bears 
the hall - mark of the human — if it were 
perfect, it might be beyond us. 

He has, as I understand it, a mailing list 
of perhaps thirty or forty men, all busy men 
and mostly men who are leaders in their 
particular fields of work, and to them he some- 
times writes, when the spirit moves, but not 
when it don't. How do I know? Because he 
has sometimes written me and has sent me 
carbons of his letters to other men. I under- 
stand he gets no money for the service, but 
he gets from some men letters which money 
could not buy, which give him a larger out- 
look on the problems of life, and from those 
letters he often gets uplift and inspiration for 
his work and a view from a new angle of 
vision. 

I met, recently at a luncheon, a man from 
Detroit, Michigan, who is Henry Ford's 
personal publicity man; and as we ate our 
lunch I showed him a carbon of a letter which 
I had just received from this man, written 
to a friend of mine, who had been burning 
the candle at both ends; and when I named 
the man who wrote the letter he said — "Why, 
he writes to our Mr. — " naming a man who 
is one of the prominent men in the manage- 
ment of the Ford Company. 

I give you below a copy of the letter re- 
ferred to above. I call it a gem: 



"Feb. 24, 1915. 
"Dear Mr. T.: 

"Under the glass on my desk over at the 
office (I am writing this at home), there is 
a little Eastern saying which was given me 
by my secretary one day when the gods 
seemed a bit unkind. She gave me a type- 
written copy with a thick red-pencil border 
around it. I give it to you because there 
may be times when it will help you as it has 
already helped me. 

"THE DOG BARKS, BUT THE CARAVAN 
PASSES ON. 

"And I have just been reading another 
eastern story of a king who wanted a legend 
emblazoned upon his royal shield which 
would stand for all time and apply to all 
things mortal. The wise men of the kingdom 
failed to find what was wanted. After some 
years a humble shepherd voiced a phrase 
which served. Brought into the court, he 
was for a moment amazed at the glitter of 
it all. But when asked to speak his thoughts 
he said: 
"AND THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS AWAY. 

"Today I learned that a young friend of 
mine, whose rise in business had been most 
rapid, is down in Florida trying to recover 
from a nervous breakdown. I thought then, 
as I think now, of that old question: 
"WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT A MAN THAT 
HE GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD 
AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL. 

"Success in business, money in the bank, 
the record of great achievements, the repu- 



tation of one who has driven himself to the 
heights of fame in his chosen field, cannot 
compensate one for the loss of contentment 
of spirit. 

"Harriman is dead, and Morgan. And 
Napoleon. And Caesar. And Alexander. 
But the world goes on. 'Unless ye become 
as little children' and little children PLAY. 
I dare you to do the same. 

"(Signed) T. D." 

Such a letter might appear in one of our 
issues and many other worth-while things 
could find their way into such a publication. 

I believe there are few industrial organiza- 
tions in which a stronger or more friendly 
family feeling exists than in our company. 
It is a good spirit to conserve and I incline 
to the opinion that this would be a helpful 
instrumentality along the line suggested. I 
would have it of such a size and shape as 
to readily fit the pocket so that when received 
it would never be laid down, but would be 
immediately "pocketed" for a later reading. 

The Beginnings 

of the Envelope Industry in the 

United States. 

Such a publication could be made the 
medium for carrying out a piece of work 
which has been in my mind for years; i. e., 
to write a brief historical sketch of the begin- 
nings of the envelope industry in this country. 
I have collected considerable data on that 
subject in regard to the constituent com- 
panies of the United States Envelope Co. 



True, such data is fragmentary and the record 
will be imperfect, for most of the early actors 
in the drama have long since passed from the 
stage and both legend and memory must 
be drawn upon for the story. It will be my 
aim- not to make this story lengthy, but to 
make it very personal, dealing with the lives 
of the men who blazed the trail for us, who 
came after them; a human document, rather 
than a statistical or literary effort. 

Makers of history do not usually write 
history. They are too busy to spend time 
recording that which to them form the com- 
monplace events in their lives. 

It has been truly said : History is a record 
of every day but yesterday and of every 
generation but the present. Yesterday is 
so near to us that we do not usually consider 
its events as having more than a passing 
interest, but the events of yesterday and the 
day before are the foundations upon which 
we build today and upon which we will 
build tomorrow, and when we get far enough 
away from today, then, as we look back, we 
will find that the events of yesterday and the 
day before are of vital interest because they 
have been the foundation upon which all the 
future tomorrows will be reared. 

History is always made twice, first in the 
rough by the people, who do things, but they 
do not know their work by that name; and 
second, by those who come later, i. e., the 
story tellers, poets, journalists and historians, 
who arrange the facts in order to bring out 
their significance. Someone has said that 



history is always dependent on two things, 
curiosity and love. Only a country whose peo- 
ple love it and are curious about its past can 
have a history, for only in response to that 
love and curiosity will the facts be collected, 
arranged and interpreted, and so we would 
apply this thought to our industry. I have 
loved the envelope business and will be glad, 
as a labor of love, to record some fragments 
of its early history with reminiscences of the 
early pioneers. This early history of the 
envelope business ought to be preserved, at 
least as much of it as it is possible to preserve, 
and it will only be preserved by those who 
know it and are willing to give the time and 
thought necessary to preserve it, and do it 
now. 

Some years ago a man in this country 
desired to obtain information concerning the 
building of the Union Pacific Railroad, but 
he was unable to find anything but the most 
fragmentary reports of that mighty under- 
taking by which one of the bands of steel 
which binds the east to the west was forged. 

The men who were doing that work were 
not members of historical societies and were 
too busy with other duties to write essays 
or books, and not many of them were by 
education fitted to do that kind of work. 
They were earning their daily bread, perform- 
ing their daily tasks, cutting through the 
mountains of the west, making the highway 
for industrial and commercial progress, and 
while they were not writing history they 
were doing something larger; thus, they were 

10 



making history, although they did not call 
their work by that name. Having finished 
their work, it has been left, and will be left, 
for the historian of the future who will come 
after them to collect and write up from the 
fragmentary data which they have left behind 
— _ the record of what they accomplished . The 
thing that lives in history is not the event — it 
is the written account of it that lives. And 
when the record of the other men's doings 
have been made, other men^will be inspired 
by the record of their deeds to try to do as 
large or larger things. 

A few years ago we celebrated in this coun- 
try the one-hundredth anniversary of the 
birth of the steamboat. On that day in the 
distant and shadowy past, a certain man 
named Robert Fulton, of whom the world up 
to that time had heard but little, but of whom 
in later years the world was to hear much, 
and to whom the world is under an obliga- 
tion, which till the end of time can never be 
discharged, started up the Hudson River in 
a boat propelled by steam. And while there 
were quite a number of newspapers pub- 
lished in New York at that time, in a recent 
newspaper account of that day's work it 
was stated that only one of the newspapers 
made any reference to the matter whatever, 
and that one devoted less than a dozen lines 
to the affair. We needed the perspective of a 
hundred years to catch the full significance 
of what was done that day, and yet these 
men thought but little of the fact that they 
were making history, and the record of that 
eventful day's work which was to change 

31 



the ocean into a ferry crossing and make the 
nations of the world neighbors, would have 
been lost had it not been preserved by the 
historian. 

What a contribution to the future and what 
an honor to the past if in every city of our 
land the history of each separate invention 
and the history of the development of each 
industry could be intelligently and sympa- 
thetically written? But there would be chap- 
ters which would read not like a romance 
but like a tragedy, and yet we of today are 
not conscious of our debt to those men who 
laid the foundations on which we have been 
permitted to build because the historian has 
not yet written up the record ; and if it is not 
written now it never can be written, for soon 
all who have a knowledge of the beginnings 
will have passed to the great beyond. 

We need the historian to follow the doers 
of the world's work — to make the record 
of what has been done and the steps by which 
the advances have been made. But we are 
living in a busy, busy day, and the burden of 
the present with planning for the future 
crowds out the past and we hurry on. Indus- 
try is a modern institution and history has 
little to do with modern institutions. 

What an interesting story could be written 
about every industry in this country, and it 
would not be confined to things mechanical, 
for that word industry covers the whole 
range of human effort and the record would 
not be complete when the story had been 
told of the man who had invented or doubled 

12 



the output of the machine. That record 
would also tell of the man who, by intelligent 
study, had doubled the potato and grain 
crops — the man who had conquered this 
or that pest which destroyed the farmers' 
grain or fruit. The man who had improved 
the livestock of the nation and the man who 
by his studies in sanitation had decreased 
the death rate. These all have been indus- 
trious workers for the common good. They 
have been dreamers who have worked to 
make their dreams come true. 

_ Did you ever stop to consider what mental 
vision is? — that it is not the eye, but the 
mind, which sees. The engineer through the 
mind by faith — which the great apostle in 
that wonderful, that inspired, definition says 
is: "The substance of things hoped for; 
the evidence of things not seen," saw the 
bridge which spans the river even before 
pencil had been put upon paper. 

In the realm of science men say: "The 
thing I am looking for is there," and with the 
eye of faith looking for it they find it. 

In like manner the inventor with the eye 
of faith sees the machine which is to lighten 
human toil; and so the bridge, the scientific 
discovery and the machine, are no longer 
visions, but realities. 

Then reaching down below the level of 
the^ machine, thousands have been lifted to 
a higher level for the inventive and construc- 
tive ability which makes possible the machine, 
never educates men and women down to 
operate it, but when once the machine has 



been invented and constructed then other 
men and women are educated up to operate 
the machine, and it is a distinct advance 
to that class of operatives. 

The studies of grammar, rhetoric, poetry 
and the ancient classics, were formerly referred 
to as the "Humanities," but the true students 
of the "Humanities" in our day are the men 
who are carrying on the work of the world 
which makes possible the advance of civiliza- 
tion. In their ranks are found the pioneers 
and pathfinders of commercial and indus- 
trial progress. The builders of railroads, 
bridges, ships, sewers, reservoirs, the inven- 
tors and builders of machinery, the men who 
are evolving new processes and methods of 
manufacture, and who are laboring to build 
up a better industrial system than the world 
has ever known before. These are the men 
who are to bring in the Kingdom of God on 
earth. They are the makers of history today 
and we believe they are to be increasingly 
so in the years to come. 

History in the past has been in large meas- 
ure chiefly a record of war and strife and 
most of the names which stand out promi- 
nently have been those of the great generals 
and admirals. But the things which make a 
people great are not the wars of destruction, 
but the quiet, orderly lives of the working 
men and women who are engaged in pro- 
ductive industry. It is industry which pro- 
vides the sinews from which comes national 
power which make nations both strong and 
great. A nation is not great through its gen- 

14 



erals who kill and destroy, but through its 
engineers, architects, preachers, teachers, 
business and professional men, and the great 
mass of honest, God-fearing men and women 
who do the work of the world, and a nation 
will be great just in proportion as all these 
classes are inspired with an ideal and are 
workers for the common good. 

After the present awful tragedy in Europe 
is ended and the nations of the world have 
taken an inventory of the losses of war, not 
measured by material standards of value, 
but in terms of blood, suffering and sorrow, 
of wounds that can never heal, the nations 
of the earth may decide that war shall end 
and, in the words of Robert Burns, 

"Man to man the world o'er, 
Shall brithers be for a' that." 

While the rivers of Europe run red with 
the blood of the best and the bravest of the 
sons of earth, it requires imagination and 
faith to visualize such a picture today. 

If that day shall come, the history of the 
future will be the record of peaceful industry 
and the men whose names will be held in 
honor and loving remembrance will be those 
whose lives have been helpful to mankind, 
and who, out of the strain and stress of today, 
have made possible a better tomorrow; and 
the men who have been connected with our 
industry will have done their part in this 
work and the record of their work ought to 
be preserved. 

What would be more interesting or inspir- 



ing to us of today and to the men of the future 
than the record of the work of the men who 
laid the foundations of our industry? The 
inscription on the new Post Office building 
in Washington well describes the mission of 
the envelope: 

"Carrier of news and knowledge, 
Instrument of trade and industry, 
Promoter of mutual acquaintance, 
Of peace and good will among men and 
nations. 

"Messenger of sympathy and love, 
Servant of parted friends, 
Consoler of the lonely, 
Bond of the scattered family, 
Enlarger of the common life." 

We ought to feel honored to have a part 
in the production of such a messenger of 
good will among men. 

A Museum of the Envelope Industry. 

Not only should the story of the work of 
the pioneers be preserved, but so far as possi- 
ble examples of their handiwork should also 
be preserved; and with that end in view we 
are having erected in connection with the 
Logan, Swift & Brigham Envelope Co. Divi- 
sion, at Worcester, Mass., a building in which 
a room is to be set apart for a museum in 
which, so far as we are able, will be collected 



as many as possible of the old types of envel- 
ope machines which have served their day 
and have taken their places among the 
honored "has beens" of the envelope industry. 

I have been able to secure photographs of 
many of the pioneer inventors and manufac- 
turers in our industry, and while the record 
cannot be complete, it is my hope with the 
co-operation of the other members of our 
craft to make the record asxomplete as possi- 
ble. Photographs have also been secured of 
some of the earlier types of envelope machines, 
which have gone the way of all the works 
of man. Some eight years ago, before they 
were packed up and taken to the basement 
of the Patent office, I had photographs taken 
of all the envelope machine models in the 
Patent office at Washington, D. C. These 
photographs of both men, machinery and 
models it is our intention to have reproduced 
in enlarged form to adorn the walls of this 
museum which will be a "Hall of Fame" for 
the pioneers of the envelope industry. 

e In connection with the text of these brief 
historical sketches which are to be prepared, 
we will present reproductions of the photo- 
graphy of the men and machines which they 
loved into being. In some cases we will be 
able to show the factory buildings in which, 
in the day of smaller things, the life of our 
industry began. 

It is our intention to send copies of our 
publication, "The Red Envelope," which 
contain these historical sketches, to all manu- 
facturers of envelopes, with the hope that 

17 



if any of them have items of interest con- 
nected with the beginnings of the industry, 
that they will contribute them to the end that 
as much as possible of the history of the 
beginnings may be preserved. 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager. 



18 



as many as possible of the old types of envel- 
ope machines which have served their day 
and have taken their places among the 
honored "has beens" of the envelope industry. 

I have been able .to secure photographs of 
many of the pioneer inventors and manufac- 
turers in our industry, and while the record 
cannot be complete, it is my hope with the 
co-operation of the other members of our 
craft to make the record as complete as possi- 
ble. Photographs have also been secured of 
some of the earlier types of envelope machines, 
which have gone the way of all the works 
of man. Some eight years ago, before they 
were packed up and taken to the basement 
of the Patent office, I had photographs taken 
of all the envelope machine models in the 
Patent office at Washington, D. C. These 
photographs of both men, machinery and 
models it is our intention to have reproduced 
in enlarged form to adorn the walls of this 
museum which will be a "Hall of Fame" for 
the pioneers of the envelope industry. 

In connection with the text of these brief 
historical sketches which are to be prepared, 
we will present reproductions of the photo- 
graphs of the men and machines which they 
loved into being. In some cases we will be 
able to show the factory buildings in which, 
in the day of smaller things, the life of our 
industry began. 

It is our intention to send copies of our 
publication, "The Red Envelope," which 
contain these historical sketches, to all manu- 
facturers of envelopes, with the hope that 

17 



if any of them have items of interest con- 
nected with the beginnings of the industry, 
that they will contribute them to the end that 
as much as possible of the history of the 
beginnings may be preserved. 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager. 



18 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

November, 1915 Number 3 



PRESS OF 
PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 
Hartford, Conn. 



The Story of the Envelope 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER 1. 

In the preface to Andrew Carnegie's life 
of James Watt, he says: 

"When the publishers asked me to write the life 
of James Watt, I declined, stating that my thoughts 
were upon other matters. This settled the question, 
as I supposed, but in this I was mistaken. Why 
shouldn't I write the life of the discoverer of the 
steam engine, out of which I had made a fortune? 
Besides, I knew little of the history of the steam en- 
gine and of Watt himself, and the surest way to 
obtain knowledge was to comply with the publish- 
er's highly complimentary request. In short, the 
subject would not down, and finally I was compelled 
to write again, telling them that the idea haunted 
me, but if they still desired me to undertake it, I 
should do so with my heart in the task. I now 
know about the steam engine and have also had 
revealed to me one of the finest characters that ever 
graced the earth." 

For many years I have had it in mind to 
write for our industrial family a brief story 
of the beginnings of the envelope industry in 



the United States. In 1903-4-5 I collected 
considerable data bearing on the subject, but 
other matters, more pressing, demanded my 
time and thought, and so the matter for the 
time being had to be laid one side. 

In 1908-9-10-11 I served my. city as Mayor 
and had no time during those four years to 
devote to other subjects, and at the end of my 
term of service I was in no condition, phys- 
ically, to undertake the work. But the 
subject would not down. It kept coming back 
to me; and, like Mr. Carnegie, I have felt 
that I had to do the job and, like him, also, 
"my heart would be in the task." 

I know the record will be far from perfect, 
historically, for the data is fragmentary, as 
most of the early actors have long since passed 
from the stage and they left few records 
behind them, for they were not conscious 
that they were making history, and so both 
memory and legend must be drawn upon for 
the story. 

It will be my aim to make the story per- 
sonal, dealing with the lives and the work of 
the men who laid the foundations upon which 
we of a later generation have been permitted 
to rear the superstructure of our industry — 
to make the story a human document rather 
than a statistical or literary production. 

It has been a pleasure to look back into the 
past and become even slightly acquainted 
with some of these early pioneers who lived 
and wrought, and some of whom failed to 
reach their goal, but who, by their work, made 



possible the success of others, and to that 
extent they did not fail; and so we ought to 
hold their memory in honorable remembrance. 

The development of industry, as well as 
many other problems of life, is much like a 
game of baseball — the first important thing 
is to get to first base, and then second, and 
then third, but it is getting round to the home 
plate that counts in the final score. In base- 
ball a player sometimes reaches first base on 
a scratch hit, or on another player's error, 
then he gets to second on another player's 
sacrifice, i. e., a player who was willing to 
take the chances of being put out in order 
that the player on first base could get to 
second, and then he reaches the home plate, 
not because of exceptional work on his part, 
for he reached first base on a scratch hit, but 
because the man at the bat who "died at 
third" did a good piece of stickwork which 
permitted the base runner to bring in the 
run. The point I want to make is this : The 
work of the world is done not by the star 
players, playing for an individual record, but 
by teamwork; and so we should all be help- 
ful to one another, working for the common 
good, because we are all so dependent on one 
another and are all debtors to the men of the 
past. 

Recently in conversation with a gentleman 
possessed with a high grade of inventive 
talent, mechanical skill and business ability, 
a rare combination to find in one man, and 
who claimed for himself all the credit for what 
he had been able to accomplish, I tried to 



impress upon him the great truth which he 
and all of us are sometimes inclined to forget, 
i. e., that we are all debtors to the past, that 
the men away back in the dim and shadowy 
— yes, forgotten — past, who made the first 
wheel, gear, cam, spring and lever, helped to 
make possible the wonderful industrial devel- 
opment of the present, and they are today 
silent partners with us in all our enterprises, 
and even though they did not reach the goal 
of success, there is consolation in this thought : 

"For when the one great scorer comes 
To write against our name 
He writes not that you lost or won, 
But how you played the game." 

Grantland Rice. 

In these brief historical sketches of the 
beginnings of our industry I shall try to reset 
the stage with the atmosphere of the time it 
recalls and shall try to picture as best I may 
those early conditions and also try to repro- 
duce "verbal pictures" of the personality of 
the characters who played their parts, so that 
the present generation of those in our industry 
may count them among their friends. 

When was the Envelope Invented? 

The question is often asked, "when were 
envelopes invented?" and it was an epoch- 
making invention. No one can definitely say, 
but the honor is claimed by a number of 
persons. In the year 1653, M. de Valayer, a 
Frenchman, under royal patronage, estab- 
lished in Paris a postal system for letters in 



post-paid envelopes. It is claimed that there 
is preserved in the office of the British Secre- 
. tary of State an envelope in which was 
enclosed a letter dated May 16, 1696, written 
by Sir William Turnbull, Secretary of State, 
to Sir James Ogilvie, of London, England. In 
England, in 1714, Bishop Burnett makes use 
of the word "Envelope" as a wrapper or 
covering for a communication. 

In 1726 Dean Swift, in his "Advice to 
Grub Street," says: 

"Send these to 'paper sparing Pope,' * 
And when he sits to write, 
No letter with an envelope 

Could give him more delight." 

There are preserved in the British Museum, 
attached to the letters, the envelopes which 
were used in 1755 and 1760 for the transmission 
of two important government documents. But 
it is very evident that envelopes were not in 
common use, for there seems to be little or no 
reference to them for almost a hundred years. 
In 1825 Lamb mentions the envelope and in 
"Harry Lorrequer," published by Chas. Lever 
in 1837, we find this quotation: "The waiter 
entered with a small note in an envelope." 

It is claimed that envelopes were used in 
France before they were used in England, and 
there seems to be good ground for the claim. 



* This reference to "paper sparing Pope" is because Pope's 
celebrated translation of Homer (preserved in the British Mu- 
seum) is written almost entirely on the covers or wrappers of 
letters, as envelopes were first called. 



When they first came into the French market 
they were very dainty novelties and made 
from the most expensive and delicate papers. 
They were used only by the wealthy and were 
considered a fad. They were first used in 
England between 1830 and 1839, but only 
in a very limited way. 

It has been claimed that about the year 
1830 a bookseller in Brighton, England, by the 
name of Brewer, made envelopes by hand, 
and that he was the first manufacturer of 
envelopes in Great Britain; but it is more 
than probable that there were quite a number 
who claimed to be the "first manufacturers" 
the same as we have had in our own country, 
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Louis- 
ville, Ky., each claiming that honor; but, as 
there is no one now living who can testify on 
the subject, and no authentic records are avail- 
able for proof, we simply state the several 
claims and leave the question open. 

The use of an envelope in England called 
for double postage, the law then being that 
postage should be charged for the number of 
pieces of paper. The custom then prevailing 
was to fold the letter sheet to make it answer 
the purpose of an envelope, and on all folded 
note and letter papers the fourth page was 
left unruled, the object being to use the 
unruled page for the outside of the letter on 
which to write the address and, while the 
unruled fourth page no longer serves its 
original purpose, the old custom on ruled 
folded note and letter paper of leaving the 
fourth page unruled still prevails, though 



probably very few of the younger generation 
could tell why the fourth page was left 
unruled. 

On this page is pasted a sample showing 
one of the methods of folding and sealing 
the letter sheet before the day of envelopes. 



Envelopes were first made by hand and the 
usual method of manufacture was this: A 
tin form was made the shape of the flat un- 
folded blank, the paper having been previously 
cut into lozenge- shaped pieces. This tin form 
was laid on perhaps twenty-five pieces of 
paper and a sharp shoemaker's knife followed 
round the edges of the tin form, thus cutting 
the blank. The blanks were then creased 
with a bone folder or thimble, pretty much 
the same as handfolded envelopes are still 
creased. The blanks were gummed by over- 
lapping and applying the gum with a brush 
to that portion which was to be stuck down 
to form the envelope, just as it would be done 
today. This work was done in small "book- 
shops" (as they were then called) on rainy 
days and when they had nothing else to do. 

Many years ago I was told by a member of 
the firm of J. L. Fairbanks & Co., of Boston, 
successors to the firm of Josiah Loring & Co., 
which firm was established in 1798, that in 
those days, i. e., about the year 1840, they 
made in their store, in the manner described, 
all the envelopes that were sold in the city of 
Boston, Mass. 

Mr. Edward N. Maxwell of Maxwell & 
Co., Stationers, Louisville, Ky., whose father 
moved from Philadelphia to Louisville, Ky., 
in 1831 and engaged in the printing and pub- 
lishing business, in connection with which 
he operated a small book and stationery store, 
told me over thirty years ago that when a 
boy, working in the store about the years 1835- 
40, he cut out with his penknife in the man- 

10 



ner described above and then folded in the 
J back room of their little "book shop" all 
the envelopes that were then sold in the city 
of Louisville, which at that time had a popu- 
lation of a little over 10,000. 

I cite these two authentic cases to show the 
primitive conditions then existing. In New 
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and other 
cities, envelopes were made in this way as a 
side line for the local demand before anyone 
entered into the business of envelope making 
as a separate industry. 

One of Mr. Maxwell's duties every morn- 
ing in those days was to go to the Post Office 
for the mail, taking with him money with 
which to pay the postage on letters which 
came collect, the postage ranging from six 
to twenty-five cents on a letter, the rate 
depending on the distance carried and the 
number of sheets in the letter. 

In "those good old days of the past" there 
were no letter carriers and the man who 
would have suggested our present rural free 
delivery system would have been looked upon 
as a visionary. 

When envelopes were first made, the sealing 
flaps were ungummed and were closed by 
applying at the point of the sealing flap a wafer 
or sealing wax. 

I very much desired to find, if possible, 
some of the wafers formerly used for sealing 
the old form of folded letter-sheet for use on 
the sample shown on page 9, and after cor- 
responding with a number of firms whose 
business life dates from the first half of the 



11 



last century, my search was finally successful, 
as will be noted by the following letter : 

H. K. Brewer & Co., 
Stationers 

58 Liberty St., 
New York, Sept. 16, 1915. 

My Dear Mr. Logan: 

I fully appreciate the subtle innuendo in your 
letter of the 14th. 

You evidently think, because wafers have not 
been used in the past fifty years, that I may know 
something about them; it is very true I remember 
that once upon a time such instruments of torture 
were used before the use of envelopes became 
general. 

By the same mail I am sending, with my very 
best wishes for your happiness, -eight ounces of 
wafers (all that New York City affords), and hope 
there will be at least a thousand, but the weather 
being so warm, the effort to count them exceeds 
my vitality. 

Very truly yours, 

John Brewer. 

In the life of Sir Rowland Hill, published 
by De La Rue & Co., London, England, 1880, 
appears a letter written to Rowland Hill by 
Captain Basil Hall, Portsmouth, England, 
Dec. 31, 1840, from which letter I quote: 

"Portsmouth, England, 
Dec. 31, 1840. 
My dear Sir: — 

Many thanks for your agreeable information. 
Indeed, I have no doubt — nor ever had — that 
your admirable invention (for it well deserves that 
name) will ere long make up the Post Office revenue 
to what it was, to say nothing of the enormous ad- 
vantages which it brings along with it to all classes 
of the community. It strikes me, too, that a great 
convenience might be added to the envelopes if 
there were put a small lick of the gum which is used 
for the stamps at the angle where the wafer or wax 

12 



is put, so that an envelope might be closed without 
the trouble of a wafer or the double 'toil and trouble' 
of a seal — implying lucifer matches, tapers and wax. 
I can easily see how one hundred, or any number, of 
envelopes might have this small touch of gum ap- 
plied to them at a dash of a brush. 

"Everyone now uses envelopes, which save a 
world of time, and if you were to furnish the means 
of closing the letter by an adhesive corner, a still 
further saving of time would take place. 

"I dare say you are sadly bothered with crude 
suggestions; but my heart is completely in your 
noble scheme — the greatest of the day — that I 
venture to intrude occasionally. 

Ever most truly yours, 

Basil Hall." 
To Rowland Hill, 
London. 

And in his memoirs Sir Rowland Hill says: 
"This is, so far as I am aware, the first mention 
of that now almost universal practice, which has 
nearly made wafers and sealing wax things of the 
past." 

The suggestion made by Capt. Hall, and 
perhaps by others, seems to have been recog- 
nized as an improvement, and acted upon at 
once, for about this time there appeared in the 
market envelopes with a small "lick of gum" 
about the size of the wafer, say about half an 
inch square, at the point of the sealing flap, 
and this very soon supplanted the wafer and 
wax. 

When, however, as a still further improve- 
ment some manufacturers began to gum the 
whole of the sealing flap, many protested 
against it; and while willing to moisten the 
small spot of gum, for sanitary reasons they 
were not willing to "lick" the entire flap, so 
that the full gummed sealing flap had to fight 
for its place in the commercial field. 

13 



Some years ago Edmund M. Barton, Libra- 
rian of the American Antiquarian Society of 
Worcester, Mass., in looking over a mass of 
old correspondence belonging to the estate of 
his father, Judge Ira M. Barton, found several 
hundred envelopes which had enclosed letters 
received by his father during the years 1849- 
1855, and these he presented to me. 

These will be pasted on this page so far as 
they will go as specimens of the envelope 
maker's art of that date. 

I regret that there is not a sufficient 
number to enclose one in each copy of this 
issue. 



By many it was still not considered good 
form to use anything but the wafer or the 
sealing wax and the old custom died hard, 
but then, as now, utility conquered prejudice 
and conservatism, and the gummed flap 
envelope came into its own. 

Envelopes rapidly came into favor, and in 
England, in 1841, only two years after the 
passage of the Penny Post Act (Aug. 27, 1839), 
which became operative Jan. 10, 1840, almost 
half the correspondence passing through the 
Post Office of the United Kingdom was en- 
closed in envelopes; and in 1850, only ten 
years after the Act became operative, over 
90% of the correspondence was enclosed in 
envelopes. 

SIR ROWLAND HILL, 
The Father of the Penny Post. 

Sir Rowland Hill, an 
English Administrator, 
who was born in 1795, and 
who died in 1879, was the 
father of the Penny Post 
which came into existence 
in England in 1840. On 
this point there is general 
agreement. On account 
of an affection of the spine 
sir Rowland hill he was obliged to main- 
tain a recumbent position and his principal 
method of relieving the irksomeness of his 
situation was to repeat figures aloud consec- 
utively until he had reached very high totals. 
He had the statistical mind, and, following 
his natural bent, in 1835, when he was forty 
years of age, he directed his investigation 
toward the postal system of Great Britain. 




The discovery which resulted from these 
investigations is, when stated, so easy of 
comprehension that there is great danger of 
losing sight of its originality and thoroughness. 
A fact which enhances its merit was that he 
was not a Post Office Official, and possessed 
no practical experience of the details of the old 
system. After a laborious collection of sta- 
tistics, he succeeded in demonstrating that 
the principal expense of letter carriage was 
in receiving and distributing, and that the 
cost of conveyance differed so little with the 
distance that a uniform rate of postage was 
in reality the fairest to all parties that could 
be adopted. Trusting, also, that the deficiency 
in the postal rate would be made up by the 
immense increase of correspondence, and by 
the saving which would be obtained from pre- 
payment, from improved methods of keeping 
accounts and from lessening the expense of 
distribution, he, in his famous pamphlet 
published in 1837, recommended that within 
the United Kingdom the rate for letters not 
exceeding half an ounce in weight should be 
only one penny. The employment of postage 
stamps is mentioned only as a suggestion, and 
in the following words : 

"Perhaps the difficulties might be obviated by 
using a bit of paper just large enough to bear the 
stamp, and covered at the back with a glutinous 
wash, which, by applying a little moisture, might be 
attached to the back of the letter." 

Proposals so striking and novel in regard to 
a subject in which everyone had a personal 
interest commanded immediate and general 
attention. So great became the pressure of 
public opinion against the opposition offered 

16 



to the measure of official prepossessions and 
prejudices that, in 1838, the House of Com- 
mons appointed a committee to examine the 
subject. The committee having reported 
favorably, a bill to carry out Hill's recommen- 
dations was brought in by the Government. 
The Act received the royal assent in 1839 and, 
after an intermediate rate of fourpence had 
been in operation from the fifth of December 
of that year, the penny rate commenced on 
the tenth of January, 18407^ 

Hill received an appointment in the Treas- 
ury in order to superintend the introduction 
of his reforms, but he was compelled to retire 
when the Liberal Government resigned office 
in 1841. 

In consideration of the loss he thus sus- 
tained, and to mark the public appreciation 
of his services, he was, in 1846, presented 
with the sum of £13,360. 

On the Liberals returning to office in the 
same year, he was appointed secretary to the 
Postmaster-General; and in 1854 he was 
made Chief Secretary. His ability as a 
practical administrator enabled him to supple- 
ment his original discovery by measures 
realizing its benefits in a degree commen- 
surate with continually improving facilities 
of communication, and in a manner best 
combining cheapness with efficiency. 

In 1860 his services were rewarded with 
the honor of Knighthood, and when failing 
health compelled him to resign his office in 
1864, he received from Parliament a grant of 
20,000 pounds sterling, and was also allowed 

17 



to retain his full salary of 2,000 pounds a year, 
as retiring pension. In 1864 the University 
of Oxford conferred on him the degree of 
D. C. L., and on the 6th day of June, 1879, 
he was presented with the freedom of the 
City of London. 

The presentation, on account of his infirm 
health, took place at his residence at Hamp- 
stead, and he died on the 27th of August 
following (1879) and was buried in West- 
minster Abbey. (Encyclopedia Britannica — 
Vol. XIII p. 466.) 

Up to the time of the passage of the Penny 
Post Act (1 839) , letters could be sent either post- 
age prepaid or collect on delivery, at the then 
prevailing rates which were very high, thereby 
greatly restricting the correspondence of the 
public. 

I have heard my father tell of a man whom 
he knew when a young man, in Scotland, in 
the early 40's, who had a grudge against 
another man, and how he got even with him. 
This man was a sailor, and, wherever he 
chanced to be, he would write to the man 
against whom he held the grudge, sending the 
letter postage collect, and this was his 
message : 

"If you are well, I am well, 
Pay the post and go to h — 1." 

Eventually the man was compelled to decline 
to receive any letters unless the postage was 
prepaid. 

Postage stamps were introduced in England 
in May, 1840, and Sir Rowland Hill is given 

18 



the credit for having made this suggestion, 
also. One of the large questions which he had 
set out to solve was how to handle the business 
on a penny basis so that the cost of handling 
it could be kept within reason. 

Up to this time one of the enormous burdens 
on the Post Office Department had been the 
collection of postage and accounting for the 
proceeds of the service. Now it was proposed 
to have letters carried at a uniform rate in the 
Kingdom without regard to the distance 
carried, and postage was to be paid at the 
office of mailing so to control the revenue 
received for the service rendered with the 
smallest amount of accounting, and if postage 
was not prepaid double rates were to be 
charged, Hill's theory being that this would 
practically compel prepayment and thus, in 
large measure, control the revenue at its 
source. 

In his memorable and epoch-making report 
which he published in 1837, in discussing 
some of the problems, in connection with the 
collection of the Revenue, he said in regard to 
the postage stamp which has been one of the 
greatest servants of mankind: 

"Perhaps the difficulties might be obviated by 
using a bit of paper just large enough to bear the 
stamp, covered on the back with a glutinous wash, 
which, by applying a little moisture, might be at- 
tached to the back of the letter." 

Then the suggestion was made that this 
"■bit of paper" could perform a double func- 
tion (gummed flap envelopes not yet having 
come into use) — it would secure the pre- 
payment of postage and at the same time it 



could be made to seal the envelope, thus 
taking the place of the wafer or sealing wax. 
The increasing demand for envelopes 
created the necessity for machinery for their 
manufacture, and it is generally conceded 
that the first efficient automatic envelope- 
folding machine in the world was invented by 
Edwin Hill, brother of Sir Rowland Hill, his 
invention being supplemented by those of 
Mr. Warren De La Rue, the original patents 
being issued in 1845. This machine was 
improved and protected by other patents in 
1849 and was exhibited at the Exposition in 
Hyde Park, London, England, in 1851. \ 



The development of Envelope- Folding Machin- 
ery will be taken up in the next issue of the 
"Red Envelope." 



20 



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23 



HELLO, FRISCO !" 

(Sept. 3, 1915) 



"Less than forty years ago Professor 
Alexander Graham Bell, standing in a little 
attic at No. 5 Exeter Place, Boston, sent 
through a crude telephone, his own invention, 
the first spoken words ever carried over a 
wire, and the words were heard and under- 
stood by his associate. 

"On that day, March 10th, 1876, the tele- 
phone was born, and the first message went 
over the only telephone line in the world — 
a line less than one hundred feet long. 

"The world moves a long way ahead in 
the span of one man's life. On Monday 
afternoon, January 25, 1915, this same 
Alexander Graham Bell, sitting in the office 
of the American Telephone and Telegraph 
Co. at New York, talked to this same Thomas 
A. Watson in San Francisco." 

From an address by Nathan C. Kingsbury, Vice- 
President of the American Telephone and Tele- 
graph Co. 

When an audience of 5,000 people in a 
hall in Boston can enjoy hearing the "Star 



Spangled Banner" played by a band at the 
Exposition in far-away San Francisco, and 
when a similar audience in San Francisco 
can hear the strains of "America" sung by 
the chorus in Boston, and when the human 
voice can be heard and recognized across the 
continent, traveling over 3,545 miles of wire, 
it seems trite and commonplace to say we 
are living in a wonderful age and we are 
compelled to admit that — 

" Truth is stranger than fiction," 

for by no flight of the imagination could such 
a thing have been thought possible forty 
years ago. 

This wonderful development has all been 
made during the lives of the men not yet 
old (as men count age) who took the first 
steps toward this marvelous achievement, 
and best of all the two pioneers who first 
"made the wire talk." Alexander Graham 
Bell and Thomas A. Watson have lived to 
see that which was beyond their wildest 
dreams come true, and yet we and hundreds 
of millions of men and women use the tele- 
phone daily without even a passing thought 
of the debt we owe to the men who made the 
initial invention and to the thousands of men 
and women who have perfected, developed 
and operate this mighty servant of mankind. 

At the meeting of the Division Managers 
of the United States Envelope Company, 
held at the Logan, Swift & Brigham Envelope 
Co. Division, Worcester, Mass., Sept. 3d, 
1915, through the courtesy of Mr. Clarence 

25 



J. Abbott, District 
Manager of the New 
England Telephone & 
Telegraph Co., arrange- 
ments ,were made by 
which (Mr. George R. 
Davis , Manager of the 
Pacific Coast Envelope^ 
Co. Division of the 
Company, who, on ac- 
count ©.{ time and dis- 
tance, was, not able to 
meet with\ the other 
members of our "indus- 
trial family," could exchange greetings over 
the wire, the telephone having annihilated 
both time and distance and made San Fran- 
cisco and Worcester foi\the time being near 
neighbors. \ 




JAMES LOGAN, General Managei 
TALKING WITH SAN FRANCISCC 



This was the first time 
that Worcester talked 
with San\ Francisco. 
Often have,we heard the 
expression ' ' Talk is 
cheap], " but sometimes 
it is not. The rate for 
three minutes was 
|21.20 plus $6.75 for 
each additional minute 
and for our talk we con- 
tributed about $75.00 
toward the dividend of 
the Telephone Co. Just 
fancy what Cyrus White of Rockville, Conn., 
or David Whitcomb of Worcester, those two 
sturdy, hard-headed pioneers in the envelope 




GEO. R. DAVIS, Manager 

pacific coast env. co. div. , 

Talking with Worcester, Mass 



26 



business, would have thought to spend $75.00 
for a ten-minute talk! But, 

"It was well worth the price." 

How was our talk made possible? The 
following interesting telephone data was fur- 
nished by Mr. Clarence J. Abbott, Dist. 
Manager at Worcester, Mass. : 

"By the use of two circuits in each of which 
is 7,010 miles of hard-drawn copper wire .165 
inch in diameter — there are 870 pounds of 
copper wire in each circuit mile, and over 
3,000 tons in the entire line, which is carried 
by over 140,000 poles. 

"If the human voice were loud enough to 
be heard from Worcester to San Francisco, 
it would take four hours to travel that dis- 
tance. The voice by telephone travels at 
the rate of 56,000 miles per second and is 
heard in San Francisco in one fifteenth of 
a second. 

"The first sound was transmitted by tele- 
phone in Boston, June 2, 1875. The first 
words were transmitted by telephone in 
Boston, March 10, 1876. Mr. Watson heard 
Professor Bell say— 'Mr. Watson, please 
come here, I want you.' 

"The first conversation held by telephone 
took place October 9, 1876, over a telephone 
line two miles long, between Boston and 
Cambridge, Mass., Professor Bell and Mr. 
Watson talking. 



27 



"The first newspaper report ever trans- 
mitted by telephone was sent from Salem, 
Mass., to the Boston Globe, February 12, 
1877." 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager. 



28 




The Hall-mark of Quality 



©^ 2U& iEntotop? 



February, 1916 



Number 4 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S 

Immortal Contribution to Patriotic Thought 

GETTYSBURG ADDRESS 

November 19th, 1863 



BALTIMORE VERSION 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers 
brought forth on this continent a new nation, 
conceived in liberty and dedicated to the propo- 
sition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing 
whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and 
so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a 
great battlefield of that war. We have come to 
dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place 
for those who here gave their lives that that nation 
might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that 
we should do this. 

But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we 
cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. 
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled 
here have consecrated it far above our poor power 
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor 
long remember, what we say here, but it can never 
forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, 
rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work 
which they who fought here have thus far so nobly 
advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated 
to the great task remaining before us — that from 
these honored dead we take increased devotion to 
that cause for which they gave the last full measure 
of devotion: that we here highly resolve that 
these dead shall not have died in vain: that this 
nation, under God, shall have a new birth of free- 
dom, and that government of the people, by the 
people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 



The Story of the Envelope 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER II 

THE BEGINNINGS OF ENVELOPE-FOLDING 
MACHINERY 

Penny postage created an increasing de- 
mand for envelopes which caused the busi- 
ness to soon grow beyond the back room in 
the small "book-shop" (referred to in the 
last number of the Red Envelope) and 
envelope-making became a separate industry. 
There were in London, Paris. New York 
and other large cities, firms with large 
numbers of employees making envelopes 
by hand; and, as the business continued to 
grow, the man with the mechanical instinct 
began to think along mechanical lines and 
to work out machinery for their manufacture. 
Such machinery was often very crude and 
imperfect but still a great advance over 
hand labor. 



Among those who early gave thought to 
envelope-folding machinery in England was 
Edwin Hill, a younger brother of Rowland 
Hill. He had worked with his brother in 
the development of a rotary printing press, 
but as Kipling would say, "that is another 
story" (and I may add, a very interesting 
story). Both brothers were deeply interested 
in postal reform, and, having the mechan- 
ical instinct, it was a most natural sequence 
that Edwin Hill's mind should be turned 
in the direction of envelope-folding machinery. 

In Sir Rowland Hill's memoirs, published 
by Thomas De La Rue & Co., London, 
1880, after his death, he says: 



"On December 15th (the year is not given, but 
from the context it would seem to be 1840), I first 
saw, in my brother Edwin's room at Somerset 
House, and in its earliest form, that envelope-folding 
machine which attracted so much attention at 
the first International Exhibition (1851) and is now 
in constant and extensive use. In the model it 
already seemed to do its work very well, but the 
labor of some years was yet required to complete 
its adaptation to its purpose. In this latter part 
of the process my brother received important assis- 
tance from Mr. Warren De La Rue, who, in the end, 
purchased the patent." 



Then, as now, with most inventions the 
question was raised as to who was the original 
inventor. 

In the "Life of Sir Rowland Hill," by his 
nephew, George Birkbeck Hill, published 
by De LaRue & Co., London, 1880, an 



insert, dated December 30, 1880, is attached 
to page 419, Vol. I, which reads as follows: 

"Since going to press, Mr. Warren De La Rue 
has pointed out to me that Sir Rowland Hill, in 
the passage in which he describes the envelope- 
folding machine, has failed to give him credit for 
the actual share which he had in its invention and 
construction. Although the first idea of an en- 
velope-folding machine, and the invention of the 
first model, were solely Mr. Edwin Hill's, yet the 
envelope-folding machine, exhibited in 1851, dif- 
fered essentially from this model, and was, it appears, 
the joint invention of Mr. Edwin Hill and Mr. 
Warren De La Rue, and as such was jointly patented 
by them. It moreover embodied a second patent of 
Mr. Warren De La Rue's, namely, the gumming 
apparatus. In this latter invention Mr. Edwin Hill 
had no share. 

George Birkbeck Hill." 

Which controversy reminds me of a conver- 
sation I once had with one of my partners, 
Mr. Henry D. Swift, a man with one of the 
finest mechanical minds, and with his brother, 
D. Wheeler Swift, the nearest approach to 
saints that I ever expect to meet on this side 
of "The Great Divide," and who is now, with 
his four score years, enjoying the gloaming of 
a fruitful, well-spent life. 

He and his brother, D. Wheeler Swift, 
had been working out an improvement 
in envelope-folding machinery, and, when 
examining the machine with him, I said : 
/'Well, Henry, who did it, you or Wheeler?" 
And his reply was, "We didn't either of us do 
it; we knew what we were after, and brother 
said: "You put on paper what you think 



will do it," and I did. Then brother kicked 
it full of holes, and then I said to him, " Sup- 
pose you put on paper what you think will 
do it," and he did; and then I kicked that all 
to pieces, and so we kept on, one setting 
up something and the other kicking it over; 
and this is what we finally got, but it isn't 
what either of us expected to get when we 
started out, and it is a great deal better than 
the original idea we had in mind when we 
started; but, working together as we were, 
it is pretty hard to say definitely who did it." 

The Hill-De La Rue envelope-folding 
machine, when finally perfected about 1849 
or '50, claimed to have a capacity of twenty- 
seven thousand envelopes per day and it 
might be said that then, as now, capacity is 
one thing and actual product is quite another, 
but like the politicians and envelope men of our 
own day, the inventors, no doubt, claimed for 
their machine all the capacity they could. 
The record of the doings of this wonderful 
machine has this familiar note which most 
envelope makers will at once recognize, 
"not more than two thousand of the twenty- 
seven thousand were found to be badly folded." 

It is not stated how long the working day 
was at that early date (1840 to '49) when 
they were developing this machine, but it 
is fairly safe to assume that the day was, from 
sunup to sundown, a working day of probably 
thirteen or fourteen hours, as was the rule 
in other industries at that time in England 
and even in our own country, for the ten- 



hour day had not then been thought of as 
an industrial possibility, except by a few 
men who were accounted dreamers. 

In making this reference to the length of 
the working day in the United States, I am 
not drawing on imagination but from per- 
sonal experience, for in 1862, before I was 
quite ten years of age, I worked in a woolen 
mill in a village four miles Jfrom Worcester, 
Mass., from five o'clock in the morning till 
seven o'clock at night, coming out a half- 
hour for breakfast at 7:30 with three-quarters 
of an hour for dinner at 12 M. Those were 
"the good old days of the past" that some 
people who today are dissatisfied with present 
conditions and who know nothing of the past 
are so fond of harking back to, but the best 
thing about "those good old days" is that 
they have gone and gone forever. 

I have not yet forgotten how early in the 
morning 4 :30 used to come and the bed used 
to get such a grasp on me that it was hard for 
me to get away from it ; and, after being called 
several times, about the only absolutely sure 
way my father had to insure my getting up 
was to bodily lift me out of the bed and stand 
me up on the floor, and while I was trying 
to hold my balance to prevent falling over I 
rubbed my eyes open. Nor have I forgotten 
how long it was from five o'clock to seven- 
thirty when we had breakfast. "Good old 
days of the past," we are glad we said goodbye 
to you years ago and that little tots of ten 
years of age don't have to do that now. 



Those who sigh for the return of "the good 
old days" are usually not the ones who passed 
through those experiences, or if they are, the 
facts are simply these: The great softener, 
TIME, has been at work, and one of the 
blessed things of life is this, that pain and 
discomforts are soon forgotten and we look 
back through the years and smile at things 
which were then hard to be borne. 

The Hill-De La Rue envelope-folding ma- 
chine, having been greatly improved, was 
one of the most attractive features of the 
great Hyde Park, London, Exposition in 
1851, its capacity then being rated at 3 M. 
per hour. This machine was invented and 
patented in England in 1845 and improved 
and protected by other patents in 1849. 

The publication of the Red Envelope is 
primarily for the members of our Industrial 
Family and hence the details of the develop- 
ment of the industry will have a greater 
interest for them, so I have thought best to 
quote in full the primitive description of 
this wonderful first envelope-folding machine, 
the pioneer in the industry. 



THE HILL-DE LA RUE ENVELOPE MACHINE 




Reproduced from the catalogue of the Hyde Park, 
London, England, Exposition, 1851. 



Description of the Hill-DeLa Rue Envelope- 
Folding Machine, from the catalogue of the 
Hyde Park, London, England, Exposition, 
1851: 

"The following is the action of this machine. 
The feeding boy places the previously cut blank 
envelopes onto a small platform, which rises and 
falls in the rectangular recess formed by the cylin- 
drical axes of the folders (shown open in the engrav- 
ing), the bearings of the folders serving by their 
elongation to guide the envelope into its place at 
the moment of the small platform falling. A plunger 
now descends and creases the envelope by carry- 
ing it between the folder axes, at the same time 
turning the flaps upward in a vertical direction. 
The plunger, which descends as a whole, now divides 



into two parts, the ends rising and the sides remain- 
ing down to hold the envelope until the end folders 
have operated; these latter turn over the flaps, 
the one on the right of the feeding-lad taking a 
slight precedence, and being closely followed by 
the gumming apparatus which takes gum from an 
endless blanket working in a trough and, after 
applying it to the two end flaps, retires, at the same 
time the remaining half of the plunger moves 
upward, to allow of the side folders turning over 
the remaining two flaps, the folders nearest the 
feeder taking precedence. During these operations 
the end folders have remained at rest and the 
whole four open simultaneously. The taking-off 
apparatus, with its fingers tipped with vulcanized 
caoutchouc, now moves forward over the folded 
envelope, which is lifted upward by the rise of the 
small platform and retreats with it, placing each 
envelope, as it is successively folded, under those 
which have preceded it. The envelopes are now 
knocked over on to an endless blanket, and are 
conducted by it between two cylinders for a final 
squeeze, and then rise in a pile up the trough seen 
against the right arm of an attendant, who is rep- 
resented in the engraving as fetching away the 
folded work. There is a provision in the machine 
by which the gummer is prevented placing gum upon 
the platform in case the feeder omits feeding in an 
envelope. This machine works at the rate of 2,700 
envelopes per hour, and although superseding hand 
labor in folding, it is satisfactory to find that, in- 
stead of displacing hands, its introduction, by ex- 
tending the consumption, has, in reality, created 
work for more than it has displaced. 

"Although the fashion of using envelopes was 
common in France and had been, to a small extent, 
introduced in England, prior to 1839, yet their 
consumption was too insignificant to call forth any 
but the rudest mechanical appliances. It is to the 
stimulus created by the adoption in 1839 of Mr. 
Rowland Hill's system of postage reform and 
the consequent increased demand for envelopes, 
that their manufacture owes its rank among the 
arts, and its possession of some of the most ingenious 
machinery recently invented. 

10 



"The total annual number of letters passing 
through the post office in the United Kingdom 
before the change in the postage was about seventy- 
six million. The four-penny rate and the alteration 
of the system of charge by number of enclosures 
to that by weight, was introduced on the 5th of 
December, 1839, and on the 10th of January, 1840, 
the rate was reduced to one penny. During that 
year the number of letters increased to one hundred 
and sixty-nine million, about half of which were 
enclosed in envelopes. The number of letters has 
been steadily increasing since that period and 
during the year 1850 it reached the astonishing 
number of three hundred and forty-seven million, 
or one million per day. The proportion of letters 
enclosed in envelopes has likewise been increased 
from one-half to five-sixths of the total quantity, 
so that, in round numbers, three hundred million 
of envelopes pass annually through the post office, 
besides which there is nearly an equal number used 
in private conveyance. What does this million of 
envelopes contain? Their exposition would furnish 
an instructive and entertaining study." 




Exhibit of Thomas De La Rue 
London Exhibition, 1 85 1 , 
(Hill-De La Rue Machine) 
Showing the first envelope-folding machine. 

11 



Mechanics in other countries were wrestling 
with the problem of envelope-folding machinery 
and an inventor in France named Remond had 
produced a machine which was also on exhibi- 
tion at the Hyde Park, London, Exposition, 
1851. This seems to have been the pioneer 
machine in which the envelope blank was 
picked up and carried into the machine by 
suction. 

A brief description of this machine is given 
below : 

From the Year Book of Facts, 1851 , 

Published by John Timbs, 
David Bogue, Fleet Street, London. 

"Remond's machine, also exhibited, differs essen- 
tially from that of De La Rue; atmospheric pressure 
being employed for raising singly each sheet of paper 
and placing it on top of the folding apparatus and, 
again, in giving the necessary inclination to the 
flaps of the envelopes previously to their being folded 
down by the action of the plunger. Several hundred 
blanks being placed on the feeding table of the 
machine, by a very simple operation, it is started 
by the girl in attendance. The top sheet is raised 
from the rest by a 'finger,' the underside of which 
is perforated; when a partial vacuum being formed 
each sheet is sucked up against its under surface 
and transferred to the folding apparatus, on reaching 
which, the exhaustion being no longer maintained, 
the sheet drops into its place. The folding apparatus 
consists of an open box or frame, the size of the 
required envelope, over which is fixed a creaser 
or plunger fitting the inside of the frame. The 
blank piece of paper having been placed on the 
top of the box by the feeding finger, the plunger 
descends just within the box, and the flaps of the 
envelope are thus bent to a right angle. The bottom 
of the creasing frame or box is perforated, to prevent 
any atmospheric resistance on the entrance of the 
paper, and the passing back of the plunger leaves 



the paper within the frame, with its four flaps 
standing upright. At this point the second at- 
mospheric action gives the flaps of the envelope a 
preliminary inclination upward and fits them for 
receiving the flat folding pressure of the return stroke 
of the plunger; to this end, the four sides of the 
folding box are perforated, so as to allow streams of 
air to be forced against the outsides of the flaps 
of the envelopes, in order that, on the second 
descent of the plunger, they may all be folded 
down at once. There are also certain contrivances 
for embossing the outer flap of the envelope and 
for gumming the lowest flap as a fastening. To 
compensate for the continued decrease in the height 
of the pile of blank papers, and to provide for the 
upper one always coming in close contact with the 
lifting finger when the platform rises, the addition 
of a spring has been found amply effective. By this 
machine forty envelopes are produced in a minute, 
gummed, embossed, and entirely completed for use. 
If needed, the velocity might be increased. — 
Abridged Report from the Illustrated London News." 

"Seven cities fought for Homer dead 
Through whose streets the living Homer 
begged for bread." 



So in connection with the envelope industry 
in the United States a number of cities claim 
the honor of the birthplace of the first en- 
velope machine. I have in my possession 
correspondence and newspaper articles in 
regard to the death of a number of the early 
inventors of envelope machinery, each one 
of whom is accredited with having been the 
inventor of the first successful or practical 
envelope-folding machine in this country. 

This is a point which cannot be definitely 
settled, for many men with mechanical minds, 



in different cities, were working on the problem 
and some of them, no doubt, made crude 
machines which would fold an envelope, 
which machines were never patented and so 
the record, or even a description of their 
mechanical construction, has been lost. 

The Arnold machine, invented by J. G. 
Arnold of Worcester, Mass., in the early 
50's, is of this class.* 

In looking back through the vista of the 
years, the past has become somewhat blurred 
and it is not now possible to definitely say 
who actually made the first envelope-folding 
machine in the United States. 

The first patent for an envelope-folding 
machine in the United States was No. 6055, 
issued January 23d, 1849, to J. K. Park and 
C. S. Watson of New York. 

In the early days of the Patent Office at 
Washington, inventors of machinery had 
to file with the Patent Office a working model 
showing their invention, and from a photo- 
graph of this model we are able to reproduce 
the Park- Watson foot-power machine of 1849. 



*The Arnold machine will be considered in one of the follow- 
ing chapters of the Red Envelope, which will deal with the 
beginnings of the Whitcomb Envelope Company Division of 
the United States Envelope Company. 




Photograph of Park & Watson's model filed with applica- 
tion April 21, 1848, in the Patent Office, Washington, 
D. C, for which patent No. 6055 was issued 
January 23, 1849. 



The second patent for an envelope-folding 
machine was No. 9683 and was issued to E. 
Coleman, Philadelphia, Pa., April 26, 1853. 
This was evidently a hand machine. 

From a model filed with the Patent Office 
and the drawings which form part of his appli- 
cation for a patent, we are able to show how 
far he had traveled along the highway of 
envelope invention. 



15 




From the drawings filed with the application of E. Coleman, 

September 16, 1852. 

Patent issued No. 9683, April 26, 1853. 




Photograph of E. Coleman's model, filed in the Patent 

Office, Washington, D. C, for which patent No. 

9683 was issued April 26, 1853. 



So far as I have been able to learn, these 
machines made envelopes by hand and foot 
power but neither one of the machines covered 
by these two patents ever had a practical 
commercial value and, up to the present time, 
I have not been able to find any historical 
trace whatever of either Park- Watson or 
Coleman, so I am unable to say who they 
were or for whom they worked. It is my 
hope that the brief and imperfect records 
which I am able to present will come to the 
attention of persons who may be able to 
supply some of the missing links which will 
connect these early pioneers of the past with 
the present of our industry. 

The third patent in the Uni- 
ted States for an envelope-fold- 
ing machine was issued to Dr. 
Russell L. Hawes, a physician 
of Worcester, Mass., being No. 
9812, issued January 21, 1853, 
and it would seem, without 
doubt, as if the honor of in- 
venting and constructing the first 
practical commercial envelope- 
)r. russell l. hawes Elding machine belonged to him. 

"Dr. Russell L. Hawes, born in Leominster, Mass., 
March 22, 1823. He studied medicine with the 
local physician in the town and died at Nice, 
France, July 20th, 1867, but his inventive and 
constructive genius would not allow him to follow 
the daily routine of his profession. His mind was 
elsewhere. He associated himself with Goddard, 
Rice & Co. of Worcester, Mass., makers of paper 
machinery, and in their interest he visited Europe 
and learned much for the improvement of paper- 
making machinery. 




"He had two qualities which are seldom given 
by God to the same man — the mechanical head 
and the financial instinct." 

From the Worcester County Mechanics Association Report, 
April, 1867. 

Dr. Hawes' machines have gone the way of 
all the works of man, and not a machine is 
now in existence; but from the drawings filed 
with the application for the patent, and a 
photographic reproduction of the model in the 
Patent Office at Washington, D. C, we are 
able to reproduce his machine ; and by a com- 
parison of the reproduction with the two 
machines which preceded his, it will be readily 
acknowledged that Dr. Hawes was a long way 
in advance of Park & Watson and Coleman. 




From the drawings filed with the application of Russell 

L. Hawes, May 1, 1852. 

Patent issued June 21, 1853. 



18 




Photograph of Russell L. Hawes' model in the Patent 

Office, Washington, D. C, for which Patent 

No. 9812 was issued June 21, 1853. 

Dr. Russell L. Hawes, while the agent for 
Goddard, Rice & Co., of Worcester, Mass., 
manufacturers of paper-making machinery, 
when in New York saw some hand-made en- 
velopes said to have been made by a^ Pole 
named Karcheski, who, it has been claimed, 
made the first hand-made envelopes in this 
country. 

Dr. Hawes visited Europe in the interest 
of his firm and while in Europe he saw an 
envelope-folding machine in operation. The 
date of his visit cannot now be determined, 
but it is known to have been prior to 1852, 
and it is a fair inference that he saw the 
machines of Hill-De La Rue and Remond in 



operation in the Hyde Park Exposition, 
London, 1851, and that this exhibit gave him 
the object lesson from which his machine was 
evolved. 

Dr. Hawes believed he could invent a ma- 
chine for making envelopes, and with that 
"Faith" which to every inventor is still in 
the language of the Great Apostle, "the 
substance of things hoped for — the evi- 
dence of things not seen," invented and 
built in Worcester, Mass., in the shop of 
Goddard, Rice & Co., the envelope-folding 
machine for which patent No. 9812 was 
issued June 21, 1853. 

The blank for the envelope was first cut 
with a die, then the sealing flap was gummed, 
the envelope blanks being spread out on 
sealing boards, one envelope blank over- 
lapping the other and the gum being applied 
with an ordinary brush, just as hand-sealed 
envelopes are now gummed. When the gum 
on the sealing flaps had dried, the blanks were 
placed in the folding machine, which was a 
self-feeder. 

Up to this time all attempts at making en- 
velopes by machinery had dealt only with 
the folding of the envelope, the single blanks 
being fed to the machine by hand the same as 
sheets of paper are fed to a hand-fed printing 
press today. 

Dr. Hawes had made a distinct advance and 
had attached a feeding device to his folding 
machine by which the blanks were picked 
up automatically. He thus applied a new 

20 



mechanical principle which is now in use on 
every self- gumming plunger envelope machine 
in the world, picking up the envelope blank 
by either gum or suction. 

The blanks, having been cut and gummed 
on one edge, were fed to the machine in 
bunches of five hundred; gum was applied 
to the under side of the picker, which de- 
scended on top of the pile of blanks ; the 
top blank adhered to the picker and by it 
was lifted to the carriage which conveyed it 
under the plunger, by which the blank was 
forced into the folding box. Small wings 
then folded over the flaps of the envelope and 
the gum by which the blank had been elevated 
to the carriage now performed a second office, 
that is, sticking the envelope together. 

It required the services of one girl to attend 
the machine, while it took half the time^ of 
another girl to spread the gum on the sealing 
flaps, so that three girls could produce a 
finished product of about twenty-five thou- 
sand envelopes in ten hours. 

This machine was described by one of 
the men who worked on it as "a thing of 
springs and strings," and had a daily product 
of from 10 to 12^ thousand envelopes from 
each machine; and when that high point 
of efficiency had been reached, Dr. Hawes 
said to J. C. Parsons, of the Parsons Paper 
Co., Holyoke, Mass. (who told me), "that 
product would never be beaten." 

His machine was not a self-gummer and 
he could not see into the future far enough 



to see some of the self- gumming Plunger 
Folding Machines of today making a com- 
pleted product of 8 or 9 thousand envelopes 
per hour. 

But in his day he did his part to make this 
later machine a possibility. 

The envelopes thus made by Dr. Hawes 
were sold to Jonathan Grout, who at that 
time was in the paper and stationery business 
in Worcester, Mass. 

Dr. Hawes, in the meantime, had moved 
his envelope factory to the building of the 
T. K. Earle Mfg. Co., on Grafton Street. 




Factory of T. K. Earle Mfg. Co., 
Grafton St., Worcester, Mass. 

In the upper story of this building the 
first envelopes made by automatic machinery 
in the United States were manufactured by 
Dr. Russell L. Hawes. 



22 



Believing that his machine had reached a 
maximum product, in 1857 Dr. Hawes sold 
his business to Hartshorn & Trumbull (Chas. 
W. & George F. Hartshorn and Joseph 
Trumbull), who were succeeded in 1861 by 
Trumbull, Waters & Co. (Joseph Trumbull 
and Lucius Waters), which firm was in turn 
succeeded by the following firms and cor- 
porations : 

1866 Hill, Devoe & Co. 

W. H. Hill 
1892 W. H. Hill Envelope Co. 
1898 W. H. Hill Envelope Co. Division, 

United States Envelope Company. 



NOTE — A later chapter will be devoted to 
the further development of envelope-folding machin- 
ery at this factory, the primary purpose of the 
present articles being to preserve the beginnings of 
the industry which will necessitate tracing these 
early developments at quite a number of different 
places where the manufacture of envelopes had been 
started. 



23 




The Hall-mark of Quality 



JL\\t 2Jri> iEttoltfp? 



May, 1916 



Number 5 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



"THE RED ENVELOPE" 

By the "G. M." 



In July, 1915, was issued the first number 
of our House Organ, The Red Envelope, 
which we said would be published from 
time to time, if the spirit moved but not 
when it did not move — i. e., it would not be 
published unless we had something to say — 
that nothing in it would be written simply 
to fill space so to get it out on a fixed date 
of issue. It was to be used primarily as a 
medium for the preservation of historical 
data connected with the beginnings of the 
envelope industry, and was intended for the 
members of "our industrial family;'^ but the 
circle has been made somewhat wider and 
many other names have been added to the 
mailing list. 

The present number is the fifth that has 
been launched on the ocean of House Organs. 
Former issues have sailed through the mails 
to many ports and have found entry on the 
desks of many busy men and women to whom 
they have delivered their message, and from 
many such have come back helpful words 
of friendliness and good will which bear no 
sign of the dollar mark. 



We wish we had the space to publish some 
of the letters which breath this spirit of friend- 
liness. 

Our messenger has been the means of 
renewing the "G. M.'s" acquaintance with 
hundreds with whom he became acquainted 
in the days of long ago, before Father Time 
had thinned or whitened our hair, or set the 
lines of his service chevrons in our faces, 
when we were just getting our feet on the 
lower rungs of the ladder preparing for the 
upward climb, and before the burden of 
doing larger things had made business so 
impersonal, that a large part of the joy of 
doing business had been taken out of it. 

It has brought back many delightful 
references to those days of smaller things 
when business had in it a large element of 
friendship which was not measured by the 
size of the order or the amount of profit, 
and when, as we met, we sometimes had time 
to speak of things other than strictly busi- 
ness. 

It has done us good to go back over the 
road we have traveled and renew those 
friendships of former years. 

"G. M." 



GEORGE HENRY WHITCOMB 
1842-1916 




G. Henry Whitcomb, founder of the Whit- 
comb Envelope Company, and a Vice Presi- 
dent and Director of the United States 
Envelope Company, since its organization 
in 1898, died on Sunday, February 13, 1916, 
at his home, 51 Harvard Street, Worcester, 
Mass., aged seventy-three. 

Mr. Whitcomb was born in Templeton, 
Mass., September 26, 1842, the son of David 
and Margaret (Cummings) Whitcomb. His 
family moved to Worcester in 1854. He 
received his education in the public schools 
of Worcester, Phillips Academy, Andover, 
Mass., and Amherst College, graduating in 
the class of 1864. 



It was his intention to enter commercial 
life and after his graduation from college 
he became a clerk in the hardware store of 
Calvin Foster & Co., in which firm his father, 
David Whitcomb, was special partner, but 
this business proved to be not to his liking 
and he became interested in the develop- 
ment of a machine for making envelopes 
and with that industry he was connected 
during his entire business life. (The develop- 
ment of the Whitcomb Envelope Co. Divi- 
sion of the United States Envelope Company 
will be dealt with quite in detail in an early 
issue of The Red Envelope.) In addition 
to the envelope industry he had many other 
important business connections, being a di- 
rector in many large enterprises. At the time of 
his death he was a trustee of Amherst College, 
Mount Holyoke College, Oberlin College and 
the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, of which 
his father was one of the founders. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In New York City 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER III 

As early as 1843, a Mr. Pierson was en- 
gaged in the manufacture of envelopes by 
hand in New York City, but the methods 
of manufacture were crude, costs were high 
and demand limited; and, becoming discour- 
aged, for a time he discontinued their manufac- 
ture, but when, by the act 
of Congress, July 1, 1845, 
the rates of postage were 
materially reduced and 
fixed by weight instead of 
for the number of pieces or 
sheets of paper enclosed 
in the communication, the 
business began to grow. 

Mr. Pierson later sold 
his business to William 
Dangerfield, an English- 
man, who continued the 
business at 180 Fulton 
Street, in a small room hired from Jacob 
Berlin, father of Henry C. Berlin, of the 
Berlin & Jones Envelope Company. 




JACOB BERLIN (78) 

Died June 15, 1896 

Age 92 Years 



Mr. Dangerfield had practically no capital 
and lived from hand to mouth, having a 
hard straggle to make both ends meet, but 
Mr. Berlin, becoming interested in the young 
man, assisted him in a small way. In 1847, 
Mr. Berlin purchased the business of Danger- 
field and began the manufacture on a larger 
scale and with more up-to-date methods, but 
still the business did not prosper and after 
a trial of a few months Mr. Berlin, becoming 
discouraged, was ready to retire, but being 
unable to find a purchaser, he was compelled 
to continue the operation of the plant. 

In 1852, Henry C. Berlin, son of Jacob 
Berlin, being at that time about seventeen 
years of age, and having grown tired of school, 
wanted to go to work; and his father, being 
interested in the small envelope plant, very 
naturally thought of the envelope factory 
as being the place where the growing boy 
could have a taste of real work, his thought 
being that having had that experience he 
would then be willing to go back to school 
with a keener zest for his books, but the boy 
had no such notion — he had no intention 
of returning to school, his ambition being 
to get into business. 

The same year (1852) Jacob Berlin sold 
the envelope business to Wm. G. West, 
who wanted the business not for himself, 
but for a relative, and knowing nothing 
about the business, he desired to retain the 
services of young Berlin as a clerk. 

A year later (1853) Henry C. Berlin, 
then eighteen years of age, became a partner 

o 




of Mr. West's, the firm 
being West & Berlin, doing 
business at 67 Pine Street, 
New York City. 

During this year part 
of the plant was damaged 
by fire and, as the business 
continued to grow, Mr. 
West, who owned real 
estate at 120 William 
Street, the rear lot of HE ^ berlin 
which he wanted to de- 
velop, he built for the use of the company 
on this rear lot a building 25 x 60, six stories 
with basement and cellar. 

Up to this time (1855) they had no ma- 
chinery for folding envelopes, all the work 
being done by hand, the firm employing from 
75 to 100 handfolders, with a daily product 
of from 200 to 250 M. envelopes. 

In 1855 young Berlin, being then twenty 
years of age, read in a newspaper ofr magazine 
an account of a wonderful machine for making 
envelopes which was being operated at the 
Paris exposition, and he decided to see the 
machine and if possible purchase one. 

He accordingly went to Europe alone, 
which in those days was quite an undertaking 
for so young a man, and having traveled 
over England and Germany looking for 
envelope machinery, was unable to find 
machines in either country which could be 
purchased, the few machines then in exist- 
ence being owned or controlled by the firms 



which were operating them and who desired 
to control the manufacture of envelopes 
rather than to sell envelope-folding machinery. 

Mr. Berlin then went 
to Paris and saw the Rab- 
bate machine in opera- 
tion in the Exposition and 
he finally purchased the 
machine which was in the 
Exposition to be delivered 
to him at New York when 
the Exposition closed. 

This machine was in- 
vented by a Frenchman 
named Rabbate. The pur- 
chase price was 2500 francs, 
which with delivery charges 
to New York made the 
cost of the machine about $600.00. 






French Envelope Machine 
Rabbate, 1855 




FRENCH ENVELOPE MACHINE 
RABBATE, 1855 



It was about the size and style of the 
Reay machine and it was from this machine 
that Reay, Duff and Keating all got their 
first ideas of envelope-folding machinery. 
The Reay machine folded the envelope in 
practically the same manner that the French 
machine did. 




FRENCH ENVELOPE MACHINE, 
RABBATE, 1855 

It was operated by a foot treadle but 
it was intended later to apply power. Flour 
paste and gum arabic were used to gum 
the envelopes. The blanks were fed into 
the machine by hand, the inventor claim- 
ing for his machine a capacity of 2,500 
per hour, but the blanks could not be fed 
into the machine at that speed; so, again 
we repeat, capacity is one thing and prod- 
uct is quite another thing. 

When this machine had been installed 
at the New York factory it gave them all 
kinds of trouble. It simply "would not be 
good" and make envelopes, and it about 
broke the heart and spirit of every man and 
girl who tried to operate it. 
11 



In 1856, Mr. West sold his interest in the 
firm to Geo. H. Jones, who was in the 
stationery business on John 
Street and who, as a dealer 
in envelopes, had been buy- 
ing his goods from West & 
Berlin and so had become 
somewhat familiar with the 
envelope business, and in 
this way the firm of Berlin 
& Jones came into exist- 
ence. 




GEO. H. JONES 
Berlin & Jones, New York 



Mr. Jones was a brother 
of Col. Edward F. Jones, 
who commanded the 6th 
Massachusetts Regiment on its famous march 
through Baltimore, April 19, 1861, and who 
afterwards, as a manufacturer of Scales, 
at Binghamton, N. Y., came to be known as 
''Jones he pays the freight" and who still 
later became Lieut. Governor of the State 
of New York. 

During 1855, a young Englishman by 
the name of Geo. H. Reay, a born me- 
chanic, came to West & Berlin seeking work 
and was hired, and Rabbate's refractory 
French machine was given over to him to 
wrestle with. This was his opportunity and 
while he did not make much headway with 
the Rabbate machine, its very stubbornness 
bred in him the germ of invention and his 
mind began to work on a machine of his own. 

In 1856, Mr. Reay left Berlin & Jones 
and associated himself with Butler & Bryan 
who were operating a small handfold- 
ing envelope factory in Brooklyn, N. Y. 

12 



About this time Mr. Butler sold his interest 
in the firm to Mr. Louis Negbaur, who 
eventually acquired Bryan's interest also 
and continued the business alone. 

Mr. Reay, with the knowledge and experi- 
ence gained while working on the Rabbate 
machine, had developed ideas of his own 
for an envelope-folding machine. The 
funds for its partial development were fur- 
nished by Mr. Negbaur and the machine 
built by Mr. Reay was first known in the 
trade as the "Negbaur machine," taking the 
name of the man who furnished the money 
for its construction rather than the name 
of the man who furnished the brains for its 
development. 



ffgmmm 



9. -i M 



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v^ 



PHOTOGRAPH OF GEO. H. REAY'S MODEL 
the Patent Office, Washington, D. C, for which Patent No. 39,702 
was issued Aug. 25, 1863, assigned to Louis Negbaur 



13 



Mr. Reay eventually obtained other capi- 
tal and completed the development of his 
machine on his own account and gave to 
his machine the name Reay and for years 
it was the leading envelope folding machine 
in the United States. 

The patent on the 
Reay machine No. 
39,702 was issued 
August 25, 1863, thus 
showing that Mr. 
Reay had been work- 
ing more than seven 
years on his machine 
before the patent was 
issued. 

While this develop- 
ment work was being 
done, the years had 
been slipping by and 
many mechanical 
minds had been at 

WOrk On envelope-fold- George H. Reay 

ing machinery - - Dr. Patented Aug. 25, 1863. No. 39,702 

R. L. Hawes, of Wor- 
cester, Mass., had perfected his machine, which 
up to this time led all the others.^ W. W. 
Cotton of New York, W. H. Low of Albany, 
N. Y., Milton G. Puffer of Rockville, Conn., 
Theodore Bergner of Philadelphia, Pa., Duff & 
Keating of New York, J. Armstrong of Phila- 
delphia, Pa. , James Greene Arnold of Worcester, 
Mass., had all succeeded in making envelope 
machines, and while some of them made en- 
velopes after a fashion, neither the product in 
quantity nor quality was wholly satisfactory. 




In addition, there were many others 
whose names are forgotten who worked on 
envelope machinery, but because they never 
applied for patents on what they had done 
no record has been preserved and their 
names, even, have been lost, though without 
doubt other men perfected their ideas and 
eventually some of their ideas were incor- 
porated into the successful machines which 
were known in the industry by the names 
of other men. 



In this class was an envelope-folding 
machine invented by Leonard Ankele, who 
was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, Novem- 
ber 1, 1823, and who came to America 
about the year 1850 or 
1851. While working at 
his trade with Martin Rau 
at their shop in Christie 
Street, New York City, he 
made a small working 
model of his machine 
(which model has recently 
been acquired from his son 
Robert Ankele, for the 
Museum of the United 
States Envelope Com- 
pany) . We can find no rec- 
ord that any of these ma- 
chines were ever built nor was it ever patented 
and it evidently belongs to that class of in- 
ventions referred to in the paragraph above. 
In a letter from his son Robert Ankele, dated 
April 8, 1916, he says : "Mother used to 
tell us boys (there were two of us) that father 
had labored many days and nights per- 




LEONARD ANKELE 

Died Oct. 8, 1897. 

Aged 74 



fecting his machine and he wanted to draw 
all their small savings from the bank and 
patent his invention, but mother did not 
approve of his risking all they had saved in 
the venture, and so the machine was never 
patented. Mother also said that other men 
used his ideas in the development of their 
machines and he never realized a penny for 
all his thought and hard work. It is not 
possible to exactly determine the date of 
this invention but I think it was about the 
year 1863, for I distinctly remember, as a small 
boy, seeing and being interested in the little 
machine when I was running in and out of 
the Christie Street shop, 
which must have been 
about that year." Mr. 
Ankele afterwards be- 
came interested in the 
manufacture of envelope 
cutting dies and was for 
many years recognized 
as one of the leaders in 
that industry. He died 
in New York City, Octo- 
ber 8, 1897, at the age 
of 74. 

These were the con- 
ditions when in 1863 
Mr. Reay put his ma- 
chine upon the market. 
He did not at this time 
manufacture envelopes, 
but confined his energies to the building of 
envelope machinery; and while many of the 
smaller firms making envelopes had by this 




Leonard Ankele's Model 
About 1863 



time crude machines for doing part of their 
work, they did not try to patent their inven- 
tions, preferring the protection of a lock and 
key to the rather doubtful protection some- 
times secured through a patent, the issuing of 
which patent would simply advertise to every 
competitor what they had succeeded in ac- 
complishing, and as they were not building 
machines for sale in the market but only for 
their own use they preferred the protection of 
the lock and key. 

As a result, there has been left no record 
of many of these early inventions, many of 
which, while crude, had in them the germ 
of progress and future development. 

For years the Reay machine was practi- 
cally the only successful machine which could 
be bought in the open market, and while 
not a self-gummer and not up to present- 
day machines for product, it can be truthfully 
said that after fifty years of development, 
no machine has ever yet been invented that 
will fold high-grade envelopes better than 
the Reay machine, which was one of the 
pioneer envelope machines of the world. 
The name of Geo. H. Reay is entitled to a 
high and honorable place in the field of en- 
velope machinery invention. 

It is a source of regret that after patient 
investigation we have been unable to find a 
likeness of any kind of the man who, through 
his machine, left an enduring mark upon the 
infant industry. 

As we look back now we wonder why 
these pioneer inventions were not protected 




THE GEO. H. REAY MACHINE 
Patent 39,702. Aug. 25, 1863 



by patents, but to appreciate the situation 
we need to have a knowledge of the primitive 
mechanical conditions which prevailed 50 
or 60 years ago and that it was a compara- 
tively new thing to seek patent protection. 

The patent system of the United States 
was inaugurated by an act of Congress passed 
in 1790. By this act, the Secretary of War, 
Secretary of State and the Attorney General, 
or any two of them, were given the power 
to grant patents to inventors whose discovery 
they deemed sufficiently useful and impor- 
tant, the inventor to enjoy the exclusive 



benefits of his invention for a term of four- 
teen years. In 1793, the power to grant 
patents was vested in the Secretary of State 
subject to the approval of the Attorney 
General. In 1836, the necessities of the 
inventors having outgrown the capacity 
of the State Department as then constituted, 
a sub-department was created, to be known 
as the Patent Office, to which the powers 
and duties of the Secretary of State in refer- 
ence to patents were transferred. 

The records of the Patent Office as a 
sub-department of the Government begin 
with 1836, and from that year to 1860 inclu- 
sive (25 years), there were issued 33,491 
patents and re-issues of patents, an average 
of approximately only 1,340 per year. From 
1861 to 1865, inclusive (5 years), there were 
issued 22,667 patents and re-issues of patents, 
and from 1866 to 1915, inclusive (50 years), 
there were issued 1,172,000 patents and re- 
issues of patents. During the fiscal year 1914, 
there were issued 44,402 patents and re-issues 
of patents. 

During those early years the patents 
granted were very broad, covering as they 
did pioneer or bed-rock inventions and the 
claims of the inventors were interpreted 
liberally rather than technically by both the 
patent office and the courts. The descrip- 
tion of the inventions often did not go much 
into detail and today we have but a faint 
conception of the way in which those patents 
for original inventions pre-empted the ground 
and for years in a sense held all other inventors 
at bay. 



The problem confronting the inventor 
in those days was an entirely different prob- 
lem from that which the ordinary inventor 
faces today, when there is so much that is 
common in the art. Then inventions were 
not improvements on existing machines or 
methods, but new creations "making some- 
thing out of nothing." While originality 
of invention is now and always has been 
very scarce, there is now a large amount of- 
the results of mechanical ingenuity available 
on which to graft minor improvements, and 
today it is often these minor improvements 
which make the original invention effective. 
In other words, the pioneer inventor having 
laid the foundation, many other minor 
inventors have each added their unit to 
rear the superstructure of the present effec- 
tive machine. 

And again, when an idea had been 
evolved these men had none of the modern 
up-to-date equipment to help them. They 
had only the crudest of tools with which 
to construct the working parts of their 
machines. 

I have just said that these early patents 
pre-empted the ground and held other in- 
ventors at bay; and while that is true, 
there is, however, another point of view. 
As stated in the word of God, the prize is 
"to him that overcometh," and that applies 
to invention and industry as well as to things 
spiritual — if there are no problems to 
solve, no obstacles to overcome, then no great 
overcoming strength is ever developed; but, 
just because the way seemed to be hedged 
20 



up, men strove to find some other way to 
accomplish the results they were seeking. 

This stimulated thought, and with the 
record before them of what other men had 
been able to accomplish a score of men 
would often be at work trying to find another 
way of doing, and they often did find a better 
way, so that, looked at in a broad sense, the 
holding power of the patent was, perhaps 
in the long run, a distinct economic gain 
though for the time being it may have held 
things back. Do not infer from this that 
the inventor to whom was issued the pioneer 
patent had any great advantage on a great 
many inventions ; he simply held the ground 
against other inventors, marking time and 
often making little or no advance. The im- 
provements which finally made the pioneer 
patent effective were often from the ideas 
furnished by other men, but as they could 
not use the invention of the pioneer, and he 
could not use theirs, it often happened that 
the patent simply held them both. 

I refer to these facts to show that in a 
large degree the early patents held things 
back, and also to give emphasis to the fact 
that as soon as those early patents began 
to expire and other men could avail them- 
selves of the work of the pioneer inventor, 
then an army of minor inventors, being free 
to use the pioneer invention, began to do 
their work. The beginning of the wonderful 
advance in industry through mechanical inven- 
tion really dates no farther back than from 
'80 to '90. Less than the business life of 
men who are still young covers the wonder- 



ful growth of this country in this line. It 
was when these early patents began to expire 
that the germ of present competitive condi- 
tions found soil suited to its development. 



^gggjtSM 


llgKB-j 1 


m 




B 





BERLIN & JONES 
20 William St., New York. 1856 



Let us now return to the story of Berlin 
& Jones. In 1856 their salesroom was re- 
moved from the factory in the rear of 120 
William Street to 134 William Street, 




BERLIN & JONES 
534 Water St., New York. 1857 



and in the following year, 1857, the factory 
was moved to 534 Water Street. In this 
building was located a small machine shop 
operated by Duff & Keating (Mr. Duff 
having been an adjuster for Berlin & Jones). 
They had become interested in the develop- 
ment of envelope machinery and Berlin & 
Jones hired them to build such a machine and 
they were eventually successful in building it. 




PHOTOGRAPH OF DUFF & KEATING'S MODEL 

In the Patent Office, Washington, D. C, for which Patent No. 22,78! 

was issued Feb. 1, 1859 



The first J. B. Duff and T. W. Keating 
machine required two girls to operate it, 
as shown in the illustration, which is from 
an old advertisement (without date) of 



23 




DUFF & KEATING, Patented Feb. I, 1859 
[From an old advertisement] 




J. M. D. KEATING 

Patent No. -39, 053, June 30, 1863 

[From an old advertisement] 



Berlin & Jones. 
This machine was 
fed by hand by the 
girl in front and 
the girl at the rear 
of the machine 
banded and boxed 
the completed en- 
velopes as they 
were delivered. 

After Duff & 
Keating had in- 
vented their hand- 
fed envelope-fold- 
ing machine their 
ambition then was 
to make it into 
a self-feeding ma- 
chine, and event- 



24 



ually they were able to accomplish this. The 
machine was then further improved so that 
instead of discharging the completed envel- 
opes at the rear of the machine the completed 
envelopes were delivered to the girl in front, 
as shown in the illustration, thereby requiring 
the services of only one girl to operate the 
machine. 




PHOTOGRAPH OF J. M. D. KEATING'S MODEL 

In the Patent Office, Washington, D. C, for which Patent No. 39,053 

was issued June 30, 1863 



Their ambition then was to make a 
self -gumming machine, but this they were 
never able to accomplish. As so often happens 
with inventors, the man with the original 
idea can only go so far and he then finds 
himself utterly unable to take the next step 

25 



so essential to complete success, or as an old 
inventor once said to me : "The ditch was 
ten feet wide and I could only jump eight 
feet and so I landed in the ditch." So in 
the case of Duff & Keating. They were 
never able to reach their goal. 

The self-gumming and folding envelope 
machine was the dream of about every inven- 
tor who was working on envelope-folding 
machinery and they were all working hard 
to make their dream come true. Duff & 
Keating, while having made very material 
contributions to the art were not able as 
we would say today "to deliver the goods," 
— i. e., to make a self-gumming machine. 
But they laid foundations upon which other 
men were permitted to build, so while they 
did not reach their goal, we must not write 
"failure" against their names, for in their 
day they were the leaders. 

The story of Berlin & Jones will be con- 
tinued in a future number of The Red 
Envelope. 



20 









^ggP^ 




The Hall-mark of Quality 


Sty? 2Ui Enfold 


July, 


1916 Number 6 




PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



THE MAN OVER THERE 

AND 
THE JOB OVER THERE 

By the "G. M." 



NOTE— Recently the "G. M." was asked to prepare 
an article for one of the leading magazines, answering 
the question propounded below. 

"When selecting men for executive positions, shall 
we go outside of our organization or shall we promote 
from our own ranks?" Shall we depend on an in- 
fusion of "new blood" or shall we develop our own 
"raw material?" 



With many people the only thing that 
really looks good is the thing that is "over 
there." 

For example : In riding through the country 
(provided you run your automobile slowly 
enough so that you can take in the beauty 
of "God's great out-of-doors") the field near 
at hand shows the hills, the hollows, the 
rocks and the stubble, while the field on the 
other side of the valley looks like a lawn; 
but when you get near enough to make a 
critical examination you find that that field, 
too, has its full proportion of hills, hollows, 
rocks and stubble. 

And again, in making investments, men have 
often passed by splendid opportunities near 
at home which gave promise of a splendid 
return, but the investment "over there" 
of which they knew little or absolutely 



nothing, had an attraction which captured 
their money and later on they found they 
had purchased a gold brick. 

In like manner in the selection of men, men 
sometimes see wonderful ability in the man 
"over there" who may be in the employ 
of a competitor but they utterly fail to appre- 
ciate the faithfulness, efficiency and, what 
may count for more than these, the loyalty 
of the man near at hand. 

They forget that when they are negoti- 
ating with the man "over there" only his 
good points are on exhibition, but after the 
engagement has been made and the man 
begins his work, then his weak points are 
developed and it often happens that when the 
debits and credits have all been set down 
and comparisons made, with men over whom 
this man has been promoted, then they learn 
that their own man, who was so near that 
his weak points were noted and set down to 
his debit while his good points in the account- 
ing had been entirely overlooked. 

Some managers can see wonderful ability 
in the man "over there" and appear to 
labor under the impression that if they can 
secure that man's services their success will 
be assured, but how often failure and disap- 
pointment have been the result of such a 
transfer, and the reason for failure often lies 
right on the surface. The facts are simply 
these : In the old place there was a momentum 
which this man did not create, although 
perhaps (though not always) he may have 
given the acquired momentum direction, 
but that momentum was not his; he did not 



create it and he could not transfer it to the 
other concern, and this man who has been 
transferred now sees, perhaps for the first 
time, that his success in his former position 
was the result of training which he did not 
give, and of faithfulness, loyalty and "know 
how" on the part of scores or hundreds of 
other men and women who got no credit 
whatever, but who furnished their due pro- 
portion of the elements which made for 
success. 

It is one problem to direct a force of men 
or women who have been through years of 
training organized into a working team and 
quite another problem to direct a body of 
men and women who have never been taught 
how to do things right, and this is usually 
the team which the man hired from "over 
there" is expected to make good with. The 
bare fact that one must look elsewhere for 
line officers is good evidence that privates 
and non-commissioned officers have not been 
well trained if the line officers when needed 
must be drawn from outside sources. 

Many employers make the mistake of 
never training men themselves but depend 
on 'men hired from their competitors or from 
other outside sources. No doubt it may be 
wise at times to go outside and get an "infu- 
sion of new blood." It is sometimes an abso- 
lute necessity, for an organization can become 
hidebound in methods; but, on general prin- 
ciples, I have no hesitation whatever in saying 
if you want good men who will fit into your 
working organization you must be willing to 
pay the price of training your own men. 



One of the finest, though one of the in- 
tangible, assets which cannot be set down in 
the dollars and cents column and added up, 
and yet which determines the figures which 
will finally appear in the Profit and Loss 
account, is the asset of Loyalty and Good-Will ; 
and an employer has no right to expect loyalty 
from his men if, when higher positions of 
responsibility are to be filled, men from the 
outside are promoted over the heads of faith- 
ful and loyal men who often are more com- 
petent than the man who has been brought 
in from "over there" and who, had they 
been given the same opportunity to make 
good that was given to the outsider, would 
have made good. At all events they were 
entitled to the first chance to try. 

Promotions are often made where the per- 
son promoted fails to make good. A man may 
do splendid work as a Lieutenant or "Second 
in Command" and yet miserably fail as a 
Captain, but I do not believe there are so 
many failures in the promotions from the 
ranks as from the promotions from the out- 
side. 

Some years ago, during the late Governor 
Draper's administration, the Governor called 
together at the State House for conference 
on Industrial Education some thirty-odd Pres- 
idents and Managers of the larger industries 
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and 
at that meeting I gave expression to the 
thoughts expressed above. 

A gentleman sitting next to me, but whom 
I did not then know, said, "There have not 



been truer words spoken in this conference." 
He then added, "We have in our organiza- 
tion some hundred and thirty-odd men as 
Superintendents and Foremen, and perhaps 
I am to blame in not being able to make 
wise selections, but I can truthfully say 
that for ten years I have not hired a single 
man from outside who in my judgment proved 
superior to men who were so near to me that I 
saw their weak points and failed to appre- 
ciate their good points, two of which you have 
named, and those two points, loyalty and faith- 
fulness, are worth much more than executive 
ability if loyalty and faithfulness are lacking." 

All of the above presupposes that there is 
to be selection and training in the men pro- 
moted. Formerly no such selections were 
made. For example — In the old days busi- 
ness was usually started in a small way and 
in the office a young man was hired as book- 
keeper and he did pretty much all the office 
work that was not done by the proprietor. 
In time, as the business grew, another clerk 
was hired and in the course of years the office 
staff had grown till there were a dozen clerks 
and the man who chanced to be hired first 
had become the chief clerk, and the only 
qualification that he ever had for the place 
was that he had happened to be hired first. 
Being Chief Clerk, in time he became Super- 
intendent, Agent or Manager, and at each 
promotion instead of growing to fill the place 
the position was shrunk to fit him. He had 
never grown and had simply held a position 
which he had never filled, but his being there 
had prevented someone else from filling the 
position who could, and who, had he been 



given the opportunity, would have rendered 
larger service. 

Wonderful strides have been made in devel- 
oping the forces of nature and the inventor 
and mechanic have so perfected machinery 
that it has become almost human. In doing 
his work the mechanical inventor studies 
out a machine in which all the parts are to 
work together to produce a given result; 
but he deals with inanimate material; his 
work is wrought out along fixed mechanical 
lines; he knows in advance just how each 
gear, spring, cam, pulley and lever will do 
its work. Its power to do is a mechanical 
certainty. He does not give to his machine 
any latitude whatever, and all the initiative 
must come from him. He thinks, so to speak, 
for every part of the machine. 

The executive must also be an inventor; 
he, too, studies out a working machine, where 
all the parts are to work in harmony to pro- 
duce a given result, but he deals not with 
inanimate material, however cunningly de- 
vised and put together, but with men with 
wonderful possibilities of initiative to help 
or hinder the working of the great organiza- 
tion. 

The organizing executive must have a knowl- 
edge of men exactly as a mechanical engineer 
must have a knowledge of materials and 
mechanics. The right men must be selected, 
trained and fitted into their proper places 
in this vast industrial machine, and these men 
must have in their make-up a harmonious 
blending of science, practice, and, in addition, 
commercial efficiency. The success of every 



business hinges on this one thing — ability 
to select, properly train and manage men. 
We have standardized methods and machines, 
but we can never standardize human beings. 
The individual equation must always be 
considered, for that is the controlling factor. 
It is more than an educational or industrial 
problem — it is a human problem. 

And now for a look at the problem from 
another angle of vision. 

"THE JOB OVER THERE" 

Every word that has been written about the 
man "over there" applies with equal force to 
the "job over there." When the man is being 
hired, the hills, hollows, rocks and stubble are 
not shown, but when he is anchored then they 
appear, and the bare fact that among the 
non-commissioned officers or privates there 
was no one fitted to be a captain shows that 
there must be something radically wrong in 
the organization, and the man who is hired 
from "over there" to make good on "the job 
over there" sometimes has a rather rude 
awakening because he is expected to make 
good with an aggregation of workers which 
is not an organization, because those two 
words are not synonymous. They do not 
mean the same thing by a good deal, and 
too often such a man is handicapped by 
men who, because he comes in from the 
outside, want him to fall down, are bound he 
shall not make good, and it is just that spirit 
and a lack of helpful co-operation which makes 
the aggregation an impossibility for the high- 
est success, and that is why they had to go 
outside to get the man from "over there." 



Another point, in the place where this man 
has been trained, he has had equipment and 
tools to work with. In the new place he has 
nothing, but he is expected to make good just 
the same. He must make brick without straw. 

He has been measurably happy in his old 
place but he has now been transferred into 
an uncongenial atmosphere and he is unhappy, 
and no man can do his best work in uncon- 
genial, unsympathetic surroundings. How 
true it is what one of the men connected with 
our company said to me: "Three-quarters 
of all the fun I shall get out of life I must 
get inside the four walls of the factory where 
I earn my living, and if I am unhappy there, 
then my work will not be a success, nor will 
my life be a success either." 

That is a foundation truth. 

Still another point. The man transferred 
may have been in the old place ten, perhaps 
fifteen, years, and he is by just so much older 
than when he began before and he will not be 
able so easily to adjust himself to the new con- 
ditions and the likelihood is that he will never 
really take root in the new place. 

I believe I can say with truth that hardly 
a man who has left the U. S. E. Co. in the 
now almost eighteen years of its corporate 
life but has desired to come back. 

Some years ago, in talkingwith the Manager 
of one of the largest industries in this country, 
he said: Hardly a man who had been hired 
away from their company in over ten years 
had made good in the new place, because all 
he could transfer was himself. 

10 



The efficiency of the working team which 
was the result of years of training, was not 
transferable. 



The policy of the United States Envelope 
Company has been to promote from the 
ranks its line and staff officers. With one 
single exception every Manager, Assistant 
Manager, Superintendent, and Assistant Su- 
perintendent, has been developed in the ser- 
vice of the Company. 



THE ARTIST'S PRECEPT 

PAI TA-SHUN 

I would not paint a face 
Or rocks or streams or trees — 
Mere semblances of things — 
But something more than these. 

I would not play a tune 
Upon the sheng or lute, 
Which did not also sing 
Meanings that else were mute. 

That art is best which gives 
To the soul's range no bound; 
Something beside the form, 
Something beyond the sound. 

— Harper s Weekly, April 4, 191 4. 



11 



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THE MAKING OF A MAN 
From "The Courage of the Commonplace, 
by mary raymond shipman andrews, 
Scribners, July, 1911 



"One looks at the smooth faces of boys of 
twenty and wonders what the sculptor Life 
is going to make of them. We who have 
known his work know what sharp tools are 
in his kit; we know the tragic possibilities 
as well as the happy ones of those inevitable 
strokes; we shrink a bit as we look at the 
smooth faces of the boys and realize how 
that clay must be moulded in the workshop — 
how the strong lines which ought to be there 
some day must come from the cutting of 
pain and the grinding of care and the push 
and weight of responsibility. Yet there 
is service and love too, and happiness and 
the slippery bright blade of success in the 
kit of Life the sculptor; so we stand and 
watch, a bit pitifully, but hopefully, as the 
work begins, we cannot guide the chisel but 
a little way, yet would not, if we could, 
stop it, for the finished job is going to be, 
we trust, a man, and only the sculptor Life 
can make such." 



16 





HENRY D. SWIFT 
Asred 30 



HENRY D. SWIFT 
Aged 78 



AN APPRECIATION 



HENRY D. SWIFT 
1833-1916 



In the February number of The Red 
Envelope, reference was made to Mr. 
Henry D. Swift, saying that he was the 
nearest approach to a Saint that one might 
ever expect to meet on this side of the 
"Great Divide" and that with his four score 
years he was now enjoying the gloaming 
of a fruitful, well-spent life. 

Since the above paragraph was written 
Mr. Swift has passed from the scenes of earth 
and we may be permitted to say some things 
about him which can, and it would seem, 
ought to be said. 

It is my intention in a later issue of The 
Red Envelope to deal somewhat at length 



with the life work of the two brothers, H. D. 
and D. W. Swift, who filled so large a place 
in the mechanical development of our indus- 
try. 

Mr. Swift was born in West Falmouth, 
Mass., May 21, 1833. His boyhood days 
were passed in his native town. When he 
was thirteen years of age, owing to business 
reverses his father's modest competence was 
swept away and the family was left in rather 
straightened circumstances. This ended his 
schooling and he was thus early in life thrown 
largely upon his own resources. He inherited 
the mechanical instinct and at an early age 
developed a fondness for tools and learned 
the trade of cabinet making. 

Mr. Swift was a birthright member of the 
Society of Friends (Quakers). During the 
Civil War, in the spring of 1863, he was 
drafted into the army but claimed exemption 
from military service on the ground of his 
being a Quaker, one of whose principles is 
that it is wrong to take human life, and under 
the circumstances he refused to perform 
military service. He was sent to the training 
camp for conscripts at Concord, Mass., and 
ordered to take part in military training 
which he resolutely refused to do, claiming 
that it was contrary to the dictates of his 
conscience. 

For his insubordination he was confined 
in the guardhouse, but he still adhered to 
his determination and refused to take part 
in military drill. 

He was then sent to other training camps 



at Long Island and Boston Harbor but as it 
was a matter of conscience with him, he 
would not surrender nor would he accept 
his pay from the Government. 

He was punished by being ' 'bucked down," 
i. e., he was bent up double so that a rifle 
barrel could be passed under his knees and 
over his elbows; and, tied up in this cramped 
position, he was allowed to remain for hours 
at a time. 

He was told if his insubordination continued 
he would be tried by court-martial and shot 
for disobedience of orders ; and to emphasize 
just what that meant he was taken out and 
made to witness a military execution, but 
still he would not surrender. He was then 
detailed as a hospital steward, which service 
he was glad to render, being willing to save 
life but not to take life, but as he continued 
his insubordination and refused to perform 
military service he was finally tried by court- 
martial and sentenced to be shot, the day 
being set for his execution. 

At this stage of the proceedings Mr. Stephen 
A. Chase, Lynn, Mass., and Chas. R. Tucker, 
of New Bedford, Mass., both prominent 
members of the Society of Friends, visited 
Washington, D. C, and laid his case before 
President Lincoln and Secretary of War 
Edwin M. Stanton, and a stay of execution 
was granted. As his health had been im- 
paired by the experiences through which he 
had been passing he was finally paroled and 
eventually received an honorable discharge 
from the army. 

19 



It was immediately after these experiences 
in the spring of 1864, that he came to Wor- 
cester and found employment at his trade 
as a cabinet maker. 

Through his church connection he became 
acquainted with James Greene Arnold, and 
through his acquaintance he became interested 
in the envelope industry, and probably no 
man has left a larger impress on the mechan- 
ical development of the industry than he did. 

He was a lover of nature and devoted much 
of his leisure time to the study of astronomy 
and at his summer home in West Falmouth 
he had a well-equipped astronomical observ- 
atory from which he derived great pleasure 
during the years after his retirement from 
active business. He was of the type of the 
old New England self-taught inventive genius 
which is fast disappearing. 

In one of Lord Byron's poems he says: — 

"When some proud son of man returns to earth, 

Unknown to glory but upheld by birth, 

The sculptor's art exhausts the pomp of woe, 

And storied urns record who rest below; 

When all is done, upon the tomb is seen, 

Not what he was, but what he should have been." 



This cannot truthfully be said of our 
friend for nothing which could be written 
about him could overstate the fineness of 
his mind or the beauty, sweetness and purity 
of his life, which, while having these fine 
qualities, yet was not lacking in strength and 
virility for he was a strong, manly man. 

20 



In the popular mind the great man is bold, 
haughty and stern, self-centered and self- 
reliant. If these only are great then this 
term may not be applied to our friend Swift, 
for he was a modest man. 

Someone has well and truthfully said 
that true greatness, after all, in spite of its 
name, is not so much a certain size as a certain 
quality in human lives, measured by that 
standard, our friend was -great. He had 
that certain quality of mind and heart which 
called out the love and affection of those 
with whom he was associated. 

Personal influence, after all, makes a more 
lasting impression than personal effort. Effort 
is assertive, influence is pervasive. Earnest 
endeavor in right directions is the best that 
most well-meaning men can do, but the 
steady influence of a good character in the 
long run counts for more and this influence 
is quite unconsciously absorbed by others. 
The seed of influence sown in a thousand 
furrows at times of which no one is conscious, 
not even the sower, bears its harvest as a 
memorial of one who once passed that way — 
no other memorial compares in beauty or 
permanence with the impression that is left on 
other lives, and with the affection that goes 
with that impression. It sometimes happens 
that we live so near to a really great and 
fine life that we utterly fail to appreciate 
it at its true value. We are so near to it 
that we do not get the proper perspective, 
and so we are hardly conscious of its influence'; 
but that, after all, constitutes its greatest 
power that we are not conscious of its mould- 



ing and refining influence on ourselves, but 
when death comes with its wonderful silence 
and all the jarring voices of earth are hushed, 
then, and then only, can a correct estimate 
be made of the true value of a good and 
forceful life, which, having passed through 
the fire of life, the dross has vanished and 
only the pure gold remains. 

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge gave a brief 
and correct summing up of the really worth- 
while things of life when he said: 

"As we grow older and the shadows begin 
to lengthen and the leaves which seemed 
so thick in youth above our heads grow 
thin and show the sky, and as those in the 
ranks in front drop away and we come in 
sight, as we all must, of the eternal rifle 
pits beyond, a man begins to feel that among 
the really precious things in life, more lasting 
and more substantial than many of the 
objects of ambition here, is the love of those 
he loves and the friendship of those whose 
friendship he prizes." 

Standing before the open grave of a strong 
man clears the mind of the little things for 
which we strive and which we think impor-. 
tant. It also brings into relief the real things 
of life, of which friendships are preeminent. 

The really permanent things of life after 
all are not the material things which can be 
seen and handled. There are things of more 
real value even than money which is the 
measure of so many earthly possessions. 
There are things which money cannot buy 

22 



and which death cannot take away and our 
friend Swift was rich in such possessions. 

In closing, may we paraphrase a quotation 
from Ian Maclaren's "Bonnie Brier Bush" — 
"In the humble home of the Scottish peasant 
every cottage has at least two rooms, the 
kitchen, where the work of the home is 
done, and that is called the 'But' and to 
that room all kinds of people come. Then, 
there is the inner room, which holds the 
family treasures, like the family bible, the 
grandfather clock, the chest of drawers and 
other treasures, and that is called the 'Ben,' 
and to that room none but the favored few 
have entrance." 

So in the life of each of us there is a "But" 
and a "Ben" — the "But" where we meet 
the crowd and the "Ben," or inner circle of 
our friendships, where only the privileged 
few are permitted to enter. Into the "Ben," 
or inner circle of the life of our friend, it has 
been a great pleasure to enter and to enjoy 
with him thirty-eight years of active business 
life. 

JAMES TuOGJS.^, 

General Manager. 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

®Ip> Sri lEttolfljr? 

October, 1916 Number 7 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



A PRAYER 

We thank thee for this place in which 
we dwell; for the love that unites us; for 
the peace accorded us; for the hope with 
which we expect the morrow; for the health, 
the work, the food and the bright skies, 
that make our lives delightful; for our 
friends in all parts of the earth, and our 
friendly helpers in this Isle. Help us to 
repay in service one to another the debt 
of Thine unmerited benefits and mercies. 
Grant that we may be set free from the fear 
of vicissitude and death, may finish what 
remains of our course without dishonor 
to ourselves or hurt to others, and give at 
last rest to the weary. 

— Robert Louis Stevenson. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
in New York City 

(Continued from No. 5) 

by 

JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER IV 

June 30, 1863, patent No. 39,053 was 
granted to John M. D. Keating of New York. 
This patent made an important contribu- 
tion to the art to which Mr. Keating referred 
in a later patent, No. 62,274, issued February 
19, 1867. _ In describing his invention Mr. 
Keating said: 

"The first part of my invention con- 
sists in making the bed for the face of 
the envelope, adjustable in combination 
with a folding mechanism, so that the 
envelope may be folded loose or tight 
and also readily adjusted to varying 
thicknesses of paper." 

To accomplish this result Keating used 
what is now known as the drop box con- 
struction; that is, a trap which comes up 
at the proper time and against which the 
blank is forced in the usual way by means 



of the plunger. Keating's drop box, however, 
was hollow, having around its four sides a 
sort of rim or bead. Within the enclosure 
thus formed was placed a metal plate flush 
with the rim or upturned edges of the swing- 
ing trap. This made literally a box of the 
whole structure, having in all six sides, top, 
bottom and the four bounding walls. This 
top side was the one to which the adjustment 
was given. This was done by means of a 
wedge-shaped piece of metal, shown in the 
cut below, which was made to slide, when- 
ever desired, between the upper and lower 
plates by means of a screw adjustment. In 
this manner the folding box could be adjusted 
for either thick or thin envelopes, and Keat- 
ing was allowed a very broad claim on this 
structure which reads as follows : 

"The adjustable bed in combination 
with the folding mechanism substantially 
as described whereby the machine can 
be readily adjusted to fold the envelope 
loose or tight, and for varying thick- 
nesses of paper substantially as described 
and set forth." 




From the drawings filed with the application of 

John M. D. Keating, New York 

Patent issued June 30, 1867, No. 39,053 

For Folding Envelopes thick or thin 



There are other features of this patent 
which cover details of a moving conveyor 
or carriage with means for operating it, but 
these features are not as important as the 
adjustable box feature before mentioned. 
This appeared to be the first time provision 
was made for folding envelopes thick or thin 
(i. e., what we would now say 34 M's and 
}/2 M's), and for accommodating the different 
thicknesses of paper. 




Photograph of John M. D. Keating's model in the Patent Office, Wash- 
ington, D. C, for which Patent No. 62,274 was issued February 19, 1867 
Counting Mechanism 



A novel feature in the patent No. 62,274, 
February 19, 1867, appears to be the 
introduction of a counting mechanism in 
combination with a folding machine. Keat- 
ing provided at the rear of the machine 
a wheel containing four pockets. These 
pockets were carried in a revolving drum. 
Into these pockets the envelopes were deliv- 
ered one at a time. When twenty-five had 
accumulated in any one pocket the pocket 
wheel, by means of a ratchet and cam mechan- 
ism, was made to revolve quickly forward 
and present another pocket to the oncoming 
envelopes. This counting mechanism was 
positively driven from the machine and 
counted the revolutions of the machine. 
The counting mechanism was going all the 
time and if we assume that the machine 
made no waste and that no product was 




From the drawings filed with the application of John M. D. Keating, 
New York. Patent issued February 19, 1867, No. 62,274 
Counting Mechanism 

6 



lost while loading the machine with the 
envelope blanks it would have been a per- 
fect counting mechanism, but every time 
the machine made waste and when feeding 
the machine the counter kept on counting 
so that it had small value as a counter, but 
even though crude and imperfect it was a 
step in advance. 

Keating, because of the very early date 
of this patent, was granted a broad claim 
covering the counting feature. This claim 
is as follows: 

"The counting mechanism in com- 
bination with folding apparatus con- 
structed and operating substantially as 
described and specified." 

_ Many other counting mechanisms have 
since been built, more perfect in detail and 
operation, but Keating blazed the way into 
the unknown. 

This was not the first counting mechanism 
invented, though it seems to have been 
the first one patented. Sometime prior to 
1858, James Greene Arnold, of Worcester, 
Mass., had invented a counting mechanism 
for his envelope machine which will be 
described in a future number of the Red 
Envelope, but the invention was never 
patented by Arnold and Arnold's invention 
was probably unknown to Keating. 

Duff and Keating, while having made 
very material contributions to the envelope 



industry, had not succeeded in producing 
a self -gumming and folding machine, but 





JAMES B. DUFF JAMES B. DUFF 

In early life Taken in 1882 

Born 1823. Died 1884 Two years before his death 



they had done foundation work upon which 
other men were to build. 

In 1863, Berlin & Jones of New York 
employed an inventor named Thomas V. 
Waymouth, who had been working on paper- 
bag machinery and who brought to his new 
problem an experience gained in the other in- 
dustry. He brought also an open mind ; his 
mind had not been running in a groove and 
he was not hampered by the notion that things 
must be done along the line that inventors 
of envelope-folding machinery had been 
following. 

After an expenditure of about $20,000, 
which for those days was an enormous 
amount of money to expend for experimental 
work on a machine, Waymouth produced a 
self-gumming and folding envelope machine, 



using the Duff & Keating envelope-folding 
machine for a foundation, grafting his ideas 
on their machine. His application for a 
patent was filed in 1864 — the machine was 
completed in 1865 and patents were finally 
issued in 1866-67. 




From drawings filed with the application of Thomas V. Waymouth, 
New York City 
Patent issued No. 58,327, September 25, 1866 
Reissued No. 2,787, October 22, 1867 



As previously stated the patents issued 
for many of these early inventions were 
very broad and pre-empted the ground, 
holding all other inventors at bay. Take, for 
example, a single illustration which could 
be multiplied by the hundred in every line 
of industry. 




From drawings filed with the application of Thomas V. Waymouth, 
New York City 
Patent issued No. 58,327, September 25, 1866 
Reissued No. 2,787, October 22, 1867 



The invention of Thomas V. Waymouth, 
New York, for which patent No. 58,327 
was issued September 25, 1866, reissued 
as No. 2,787 October 22, 1867, covered 
the first successful self-gumming plunger 
envelope-folding machine and was known 
in the trade as the "Berlin & Jones Leader," 
and it was indeed the leader and stood in a 
class by itself for years and held not only 
the middle of the road but also both sides 
of the road. One of the leading claims in 
this patent was for applying the gum to the 
two edges of the envelope blank in the 



machine, the language of the claim being 
as follows: 

Claim 1. "Gumming the seal flaps 
of the blanks for the envelopes simul- 
taneously or nearly so, with the lower 
or~end flaps, or during the time while 
the blank passes from the gumming to 
the folding mechanism, and by mechan- 
ism substantially such as herein described 
or any other suitable mechanism which 
will produce the same effect." 




Photograph of Thomas V. Waymouth model filed in the Patent 

Office, Washington, D. C, for which Patent No. 58,327 

was issued September 25, 1866 



But even this claim Waymouth did not 

consider broad enough to fully cover the 

scope of his invention and immediately ap- 
plied for a re-issue of the patent. 



An application for the re-issue of a patent 
is virtually an admission on the part of 
the inventor that he did not cover or 
claim in his first application all that he 
was entitled to cover or claim as disclosed 
by the drawings and specifications which had 
been filed in the Patent Office, and if he can 
convince the Patent Office that his original 
application was defective in this respect 
the government, under certain conditions, 
grants permission to re-issue the patent, 
thus remedying the defect and the inventor 
is given the benefit of the prior date of 
invention on the re-issue but he is not per- 
mitted to read into his application any- 
thing that is not disclosed in his original 
drawings and specifications. 

Waymouth's re-issued patent No. 2,787, 
October 22, 1867, Claim 1, reads as below: 

Claim 1. "Gumming the seal flaps of 
the blanks, for envelopes at or about the 
same time with the lower or end flaps 
after the blanks are placed in the ma- 
chine, and before they are folded, by 
mechanism substantially such as de- 
scribed, or any other suitable mechanism 
to produce the same effect, or the pur- 
poses set forth." 

From the above it is apparent that Way- 
mouth covered the idea of gumming a blank 
before it was folded as he does not limit 
himself in his claim to the particular mechan- 
ism mentioned, but specifies "or any other 
suitable mechanism to produce the same 
effect for the purpose set forth." 

12 




Berlin & Jones "Leader" Envelope Machine, about 1870 
As finally developed by Thomas V. Waymouth, New York 




2 r I i n & Jones Leader" Envelope Machine, about 1870 
finally developed by Thomas V. Waymouth, New York 

13 



Let an experienced envelope-machine in- 
ventor now, after all the steps of progress 
that have been made during the last fifty 
years, examine a plunger type of envelope- 
folding machine of today and then read 
the claim in this re-issued patent and then 
try to suggest a method by which this pro- 
cess of gumming the two flaps of an envelope 
blank could be done without using Way- 
mouth's dies, or as they are now called 
"pickers," or done in any other than the 
way which was broadly covered by the 
claims for the primary invention by Way- 
mouth, and he will, in a sense, appreciate 
the problem which some of the other pioneer 
inventors faced to try to get past Waymouth's 
patents without infringement, and he will 
conclude that the problem of the inventor 
of today, with so much that is common in 
the art, is an entirely different problem. 

Waymouth was the first to accomplish 
the gumming of the back flap and seal 
flap in a plunger envelope -folding machine 
and he, being the pioneer who had blazed 
the way through the unknown, was entitled 
to a broad claim, having made not an im- 
provement over the existing method, but 
having made a real invention, an addition 
to the art, doing something that had never 
been done before. 

This was one of the problems which 
confronted H. D. & D. W. Swift in their 
efforts to make a self-gumming and folding 
envelope machine for G. Henry Whitcomb 
& Co., Worcester, Mass., which would not 



infringe on Waymouth's patents, and how 
did they accomplish it? 

The Swifts utilized the back picker which 
was old in the art, and by it gummed 
the "back flap" of the envelope blank in the 
usual way (i. e., the flap that was stuck 
down to form the envelope). The "seal 
flap" was gummed by means of a rubber 
gumming roller and a shield or stencil plate 
cut out on one side in the form of the gummed 
portion of the flap. This shield or plate was 
operated in connection with the back picker 
and was arranged to descend and lie on the 
pile of blanks at each revolution of the ma- 
chine. This shield covered practically the 
entire surface of the envelope blank except 
that portion which was to be gummed before 
referred to as the "seal flap". After the 
plate had descended to its place upon the 
pile of blanks the rubber gumming roll 
was made to roll across the stencil plate 
toward the front of the machine (rather 
than across the front of the machine as in 
most other machines) and over the exposed 
part or "seal flap" portion of the envelope 
blank, and in this way they applied the gum 
directly to the paper without the aid of a 
picker; this never having been done before, 
was a primary invention. 

With this construction it was found de- 
sirable to gum the "seal flap" before the 
"back flap" picker descended so that the 
"back" and "seal" flaps were not gummed 
"simultaneously or nearly so," one flap being 
gummed by the forward movement of the 



gumming roll, the gum being applied directly 
to the paper, the back flap picker being 
gummed by the roll on its return. If desired, 
a much wider seal could be applied than with 
the Waymouth method, and this invention 
did not infringe either the spirit or letter 
of the Waymouth patent. 

The manufacture of paper in those early 
days had not reached its present state 
of perfection and the calendaring of paper 
was far from perfect. The calendar rolls 
being uneven, sometimes a ream of paper 
would be considerably thicker on one edge 
of the ream than the other, which difference 
was reproduced in the envelope blank so 
that as the pile of blanks lay on the feed 
board in the envelope-folding machine one 
side of the pile would be higher than the other. 
This caused great waste in the manufacture 
of envelopes. The gumming picker which 
elevated the envelope blank to the carriage 
which carried the blank to the folding box 
would only gum one side of the blank, i. e., 
it would only gum the high side, thus the 
picker would only elevate one side of the 
blank so that both sides of the blank were 
not raised sufficiently high to clear the 
carriage, which would catch and tear the 
blank in its upward movement. This caused 
an enormous waste, a waste which is still 
made on unevenly calendared paper. 

This was also a great source of trouble 
to the Swifts in their machine, for when the 
stencil descended to the top of the pile of 
blanks it would rest on the high side of the 

16 



pile and the gumming roller which rolled 
across the paper could not touch the low 
side of the pile of envelope blanks. This 
made very imperfect gumming, one side 
of the sealing flap having practically no 
gum on it. 

The Swifts finally got over this difficulty 
by taking from the stencil that part of 
the plate which gave the form to the gum 
on the sealing flap and by so doing the 
gumming roller struck the top blank further 
back from the point of the flap, thus 
practically gumming the entire flap of the 
envelope. When envelopes so gummed were 
placed on the market they found favor 
at once and were called ' 'Safety Gummed," 
and thus the troublesome problem was 
solved at a profit, for the public for years 
paid 5c. per M. more to have them gummed 
in this way. 

Claim 4 in the Waymouth re-issued patent 
was also very broad and very troublesome 
for other inventors. 

Claim 4. "The combination, with 
mechanism adapted to gum the seal 
and other flaps of envelope blanks, of a 
folding mechanism so arranged and 
operating as to prevent the seal flap 
being brought in contact with the other 
flaps or parts of the blank and adhering 
thereto." 

In this claim Waymouth covered broadly 
the idea of any means which would pre- 
vent the seal flap coming in contact with 

17 



the other parts of the envelope. This, of 
course, was to prevent the seal flap as we 
now say from "sticking down" to the body 
of the envelope. 

One inventor applied an air blast but 
this it was claimed infringed the Waymouth 
patent, the court ruling that air was 
something and acted as a cushion and hence 
"operated" as to prevent the seal flap 
being brought in contact with the other 
flaps. 

Paper in those early days was not so 
hard-sized and snappy as it now is and 
did not have the spring that it has today. 
It was more limp and lifeless. Being made 
entirely from rags it had more of the 
character of cloth. The seal flap of the 
envelope having been coated with wet gum, 
the folding mechanism of the self -gumming 
envelope machine could only give the edge 
of the sealing flap a sharp pinch and the 
natural spring of the paper was expected 
to make the flap spring back so that the wet 
gum on the seal flap would not adhere to 
the body of the envelope. If the sealing 
flap folder did more than give the paper 
this sharp pinch, the flap would adhere to 
the body of the envelope and the flap, being 
stuck down by the machine, the envelope 
would be useless. How did the Swifts 
get past this patent? In a very simple 
way and yet it was years before they or 
other inventors found a way to do it. 

They made a slight bevel on the edge 
of the bed of the folding box and then, 



by setting the folder which folded the seal 
flap slightly below the plane of the top of 
the bed of the folding box, so that when 
the folding flap was performing its function 
it caught the sealing flap of the envelope on 
the bevel, giving it a slight pinch which 
canted the wet seal flap up at an angle and 
while the other folders were operating it 
held it there an instant so it could not stick 
to the body of the envelope. 

Another of the problems^which gave envel- 
ope-machine inventors an enormous amount 
of trouble was the separation of the en- 
velope blanks so that the machine would 
not pick up double and fold two blanks 
into one envelope, and the inventors who 
first hit upon successful separators had the 
other men coming behind them completely 
coopered for the time being. It was quite 
a trick to find a way to separate the 
single envelope blanks from the pile in the 
machine as rapidly as the pickers could pick 
them up. 

One of the early inventors found that 
when the blank was picked up by the gum- 
ming picker by bending the blank ever so 
little at the edge it could be readily sepa- 
rated from the pile. When the blank was 
bent in this way the air rushed in and made 
the separation. How was this done? The 
original inventor hung a small piece of pointed 
steel next to the pile of blanks in the machine 
and when the pickers were elevating the 
blank to the carriage to carry it over the 
folding box and under the plunger, this 
small piece of pointed steel held down the 



edge of the blank and, as the picker was 
elevated, the blank was drawn from under 
the pointed piece of steel which held down 
and bent the blank at the edge and the air 
did the rest. 

That patent was so broad that it pre- 
vented anyone else from using any appliance 
which rested on the pile of blanks to 
produce the same result. Eventually other 
men did get past the patent but it took 
years to work it out. How did the Swifts 
do it? 

They hung a small weight on a friction 
spring just above the back flap of the pile 
of blanks and every time the picker came 
down for a blank it set the weight down above 
the pile of blanks practically the thickness 
of a sheet of paper — a very delicate adjust- 
ment, but it worked. 

Immediately infringement was claimed 
and suit was brought, the contention being 
that the weight rested on the paper, and so 
it seemed ; but when the case was being tried 
and it seemed as if the Swifts must lose 
their case, while the human eye could not 
see space between the blanks and the weight 
separator, they were able to show by draw- 
ing a human hair between the separator 
and the blanks that the weight was not 
resting on the blanks, and the case was won. 

Claim 10 of the Waymouth re-issued patent 
was also so broad in its scope that it 
blocked the road for many of the inventors 
who were dreaming of envelope-folding 
machines. 

20 



Claim 10. "The combination with a 
suitable mechanism for gumming the 
flaps of envelopes and folding the envel- 
ope blanks of an endless apron, as de- 
scribed^ or any equivalent device or 
mechanism for receiving the envelopes 
after they are folded, and moving or 
supporting the same, without compres- 
sion, until the gum on the seal flaps is 
dried." 

The claim covers broadly the idea of the 
drying _ chain in an envelope machine. It 
states in very clear and concise terms the 
functions of a drying chain, whereas claims 
6-7 in the original patent which attempted 
to cover this feature were limited to an 
" endless apron" with radiating plates or 
arms. 

It will be noted that Claim 10 of the re- 
issued patent mentions "an endless apron 
as described, or any equivalent device or 
mechanism for receiving the envelopes, etc.," 
thus greatly expanding the original claim. 

While the Waymouth drying chain was 
the first drying chain patented it was not 
the first invented. Between the years 1853- 
1856 (the exact date cannot now be de- 
termined) James Greene Arnold, of Worcester, 
Mass., invented a rotary envelope machine 
which, while never a mechanical success, 
cannot be classed among the absolute fail- 
ures for it had in it several original me- 
chanical principles, among them the chain 
dryer, m which the envelopes were held 
apart while the gum on the sealing flaps 
was drying. 

21 



While Mr. Arnold was a patent solicitor, 
yet, as so often happens, he was so near to 
this child of his brain that he did not 
recognize the value of the several patentable 
features in his original inventions which 
were embodied in his machine. Instead of 
patenting the machine for making the envel- 
ope, he patented the envelope, the patent, 
No. 22,405 being issued December 28, 1858. 
The patent on the envelope was practically 
worthless, but had he patented the drying 
chain, pull-off, and other patentable mechani- 
cal features in his machine, his patents would 
have been of real value, for it was years 
after before the first successful self -gumming 
machine was invented and patented and it 
would have been practically impossible to 
have constructed such a machine without 
infringing the claims which could have been 
made on the Arnold drying chain, pull-off, 
etc., had such patent claims been properly 
prepared. 




ARNOLD DRYING 
CHAIN 
1853-6 



These were some of the problems that 
Waymouth solved in 1864-6, and the 
patents granted to him had expired and his 
inventions therefore had become common 
property and a part of the prior art before 



any of the men now inventing, building or 
operating envelope machinery, came upon 
the scene. These men of a later generation 
had never had to consider some of the prob- 
lems which the early pioneers faced. They 
could use all that Waymouth and other 
inventors had wrought out, but the men 
who were Waymouth 's contemporaries were 
not so fortunate. 

It took almost nine years for the Swift 
Brothers to solve their problems without 
infringing on Waymouth and these two 
Swift Brothers had the inventive faculty 
plus, and they probably added more to the 
mechanical development of the envelope 
industry than any other two men in the 
world. They invented and built five differ- 
ent types of envelope-folding machines, every 
one of which was a mechanical and commer- 
cial success. 

Other inventors were overcoming their 
difficulties also and I have simply used these 
examples from the experiences of the Swift 
Brothers because during the years we were 
associated in business I learned from them 
the definite knowledge of their troubles 
and use them to illustrate the burdens 
which some of these early inventors carried 
in working out problems of which the present 
men in the envelope business have never 
even had a knowledge, as these problems 
had ceased to be problems long before they 
came on to the scene, and so I end this chap- 
ter by saying: We are debtors to these 
men of the past and should hold their memory 
in honorable and appreciative remembrance. 

23 



And yet, and yet, in this busy and forgetful 
world, how soon men are forgotten and the 
world rushes on unconscious of its debt! I 
have sought diligently to find someone who 
could give me some information about 
Thomas V. Waymouth, who was the pio- 
neer in solving so many of the envelope 
manufacturer's problems, and while his work 
was done only fifty years ago, so far I have 
been unable to find any trace of him and he 
is known to the present generation only 
through the Patent Office as a name. Who 
he was, or where he came from, when or 
where born, how, when or where he died, 
is today unknown. In closing this brief 
sketch of his work may I express the hope 
that someone reading the Red Envelope 
may be able to furnish the missing detail 
of his fruitful life so that our story may be 
made more complete and that he may be- 
come to the present and future generations 
of envelope men something more than simply 
a name. 

JAMES LOGAN, 

General, Manager. 



24, 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

February, 1917 Number 9 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
in Worcester, Mass. 

G. HENRY WHITCOMB & CO. 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 




WHITCOMB ENVELOPE COMPANY, 

WORCESTER MASS. 



Bay State Envelope Company, 
G. Henry Whitcomb & Co., 
Whitcomb Envelope Co., 
Whitcomb Envelope Co. Div. of the 
United States Envelope Co., 



1864-1866 
1866-1884 
1884-1898 

1898 



CHAPTER V. 




JAMES GREENE ARNOLD, 
1866, AGED 42 



In 1851, James Greene Ar- 
nold, a pattern maker and 
draughtsman who afterward be- 
came a patent solicitor, came 
to the city of Worcester, and 
soon after coming he became 
interested in the invention and 
development of a machine for 
making envelopes. Mr. Arnold 
was born in Pawtucket, R. I., 
September 22, 1824, and died 
in Worcester, August 27, 1892. 




The first Arnold rotary en- 
velope machine was invented 
probably between 1853-1856, 
and was finally completed 
about the year 1858, and only 
one machine was ever built. 
It was of the rotary type bag- 
arnold side-seam pattern style, i. e., folded up 
envelope fae sides, the envelope being 

cut from the roll or web of paper. In Mr. 
Arnold's envelope machine the gum on the 
sealing flap which heretofore had been ap- 
plied by hand with a brush was now applied 
to the flap of the envelope by a brush in the 
machine after the envelope had been folded; 
the envelopes were then deposited in the dry- 
ing chain or endless belt with wooden blocks 
attached, between which the envelopes were 
held while the gum on the flap was drying. 

The exact date of the invention and con- 
struction of this machine cannot now be 
definitely determined, for no applications were 
ever made for patents on this pioneer enve- 
lope machine. This was, without doubt, the 
first Rotary Self-Gumming envelope machine 
ever made. 

While this machine made envelopes after 
a fashion, it was never a mechanical success, 
though it cannot be classed among the abso- 
lute failures, for it had in it original mechan- 
ical principles like, for example, the chain 
dryer in which the envelopes were held apart 
while the gum on the sealing flap was drying. 

While Mr. Arnold was a patent solicitor, 
yet, as so often happens, he was so near to 
this child of his brain that he did not recognize 



the value of the several patentable features 
in his original inventions which were embodied 
in his machine. Instead of patenting the 
machine for making the envelope, he patented 
the envelope, the patent No. 22405 being 
issued December 28, 1858. The patent on 
the envelope was practically worthless, but 
had he patented the drying chain, pull-off, 
and other patentable mechanical features in 
his machines, his patents would have been of 
real value, for it was years after before the 
first successful self-gumming machine was 
invented and patented and it would have 
been practically impossible to have con- 
structed such a machine without infringing 
the claims which could have been made on 
the Arnold drying chain, pull-off, etc., had 
the patent claims been properly prepared. 

This machine had on it a perforating device 
which imprinted the date of the patent on 
each envelope. 

Like most inventors, Mr. Arnold was a 
poor man and had not the means to develop 
his invention. Living directly across the 
street was a gentleman of means by the name 
of David Whitcomb and to him Mr. Arnold 
applied for financial aid for the development 
of his envelope-making machine. 

David Whitcomb, then a man in middle 
life, was born in Hancock, N. H., May 20, 
1808, and had moved to Worcester in 1854 
from Templeton, Mass., where, as a partner 
of his cousin, John Boynton, founder of the 
Worcester Polytechnic Institute at Wor- 
cester, Mass., he had acquired in the tinware 



business what was then considered an ample 
fortune. He had come in on the hard side 
of life, being left an orphan, at the age 
of six years, and being thus early deprived 
of those to whom he could look for help, he 
early learned to depend on himself. 

At an early age he had been put out to 
work with a farmer, his work being to do 
the chores on the farm, drive the cattle to 
and from the pasture, and keep the fire going 
under the still, for we need to remember in 
those days many of the farmers in New Eng- 
land made whiskey and New England rum. 

For some time after he became of age he 
worked as a farmhand in the town of Gill, 
Mass., on the farm on which the Moody 
Mount Hermon School at Northfield, Mass., 
is now located. His health breaking down, 
he visited his cousin, John Boynton, with the 
hope that he might find employment with 
him in his tinware shop at Templeton, Mass., 
but in this he was disappointed and returned 
to the farm. Soon after he found employ- 
ment in Porter's Hotel at Ware, Mass., 
receiving for his services his board and lodg- 
ing and $7.00 per month. 

In January, 1830, John Boynton, desiring 
to locate David Whitcomb and not knowing 
where he was working, gave instructions to 
his tin peddlers to try to find him, and in due 
course one of the peddlers reported where he 
was working. 

This was before the day of the railroad, 
the first railroad in Massachusetts not yet 



having been built, the Boston & Worcester 
R. R., now the Boston & Albany R. R., 
being chartered June 23, 1831, and formally 
opened for business between Boston and 
Worcester on July 4, 1835. We need to 
remember that the mail service was not then 
what it is now, that the telegraph and tele- 
phone had not yet been invented. There 
were few newspapers, and such as there were 
had a very limited circulation, the means 
for gathering news to fill a paper not yet 
having been evolved. 

The tin peddler acted as the medium for 
the exchange of news between the country 
and the outside world as well as for the 
exchange of products. He was somewhat 
like an army of invasion; he lived on the 
country, his lodging place at night being 
where night overtook him, and, for his keep 
and that of his horse, he left the good house- 
wife something in the shape of a tin pan, 
broom, pail, or what not. He did a compara- 
tively small business and his cost of doing 
business was small. 

There was practically no money in circu- 
lation and trade was carried on by barter 
and exchange. The peddler would be gone 
for weeks, returning home loaded down with 
all manner of merchandise, such as hides 
and horns of cattle, muskrat, fox and skunk 
pelts, hog bristles for brushes, geese feathers, 
wool, hand- woven cloth, scrap iron, brass, 
copper, old rubbers, rags, etc., which had 
been taken in exchange for the product of 
the shop, but he handled very little money. 
It was all barter and exchange — the times 
were primitive. 



John Boynton was engaged in the manu- 
facture of tinware, brooms and brushes, 
at Templeton, Mass. In our thought of 
the present day tinware business means tin 
pails, pans, etc.; it also meant that then, 
but very much more than that. This was 
the day of the open fireplace; the cooking 
stove had not yet come into general use, and 
a large part of Mr. Boynton's business was 
the manufacture of tin bakers, an appliance 
to be set up before the fireplace, open toward 
the fire. In it was a spit or spindle which 
could be turned and upon this the roast 
was fastened. Under this spit was a dripping 
pan to collect the juices from the roasting 
meat, and these tin bakers Mr. Boynton 
manufactured by the thousand. 

Mr. Boynton made Mr. Whitcomb a 
proposition to come to Templeton to work 
for him for one year until January 31, 1831, 
and for his services he was to receive his 
board and lodging and $100.00 in cash and 
a fancy waistcoat pattern. The following 
year his pay was advanced to $15.00 per 
month and during that year, in 1832, he be- 
came Mr. Boynton's partner in business. 

In conversation with the writer, Mr. David 
Whitcomb often referred to the time when 
he, as a young man, first came into the city 
of Worcester, Mass., riding on a tin peddler's 
wagon, with bright tin pans decorating its 
sides and with its topknot of brooms sur- 
mounting the bags of rags at the rear — now 
a thing of the vanishing past but which was 
formerly met on every highway in New 
England. 



The experiences through which Mr. Whit- 
comb had passed in early life had given free rein 
to the natural-born trader and the trading 
instinct in him had been developed to a 
remarkable degree. 

The name ' 'Yankee peddler" was a syno- 
nym for everything that was shrewd, sharp, 
and sometimes unscrupulous in business 
practice, and these were the men with whom 
Mr. Whitcomb for years measured wits. 
At one time Boynton and Whitcomb had 
over one hundred of these men on the road 
and the man who could manage and hold 
his own against such an aggregation must 
have possessed ability of a high order. 

He had retired from business when he 
moved to Worcester in 1854, but being a man 
who had led a very active business life, he 
could not remain idle and so, in 1855, he be- 
came a special partner in the hardware firm 
of Calvin Foster & Co., on the corner of Main 
and Pearl streets, Worcester, Mass., and con- 
tinued as a member of this firm until 1866. 

G. Henry Whitcomb, his son, 
was born in Templeton, Mass., 
September 26, 1842, and was 
graduated from Amherst Col- 
lege in 1864. It was his inten- 
tion to enter commercial life 
and after graduation he be- 
came a clerk in the hardware 
store of Calvin Foster & Co., 
where his father was a special 
partner, but as he did not take 
kindly to the hardware busi- 
ness, he soon made a trip west, with the 




G. HENRY WHITCOMB 
1866, Aged 22 



thought in mind of locating in the west, but 
returned to Worcester, Mass., late in the fall 
and took up the consideration of several bus- 
iness openings which were brought to his at- 
tention. 

Among them the envelope business, his 
father having already advanced Mr. Arnold 
quite a sum of money to enable him to develop 
his envelope-making machine which was 
not then (nor was it ever to be) a mechanical 
success. But the investment had been made, 
and two questions were to be considered — 
the saving of the investment and the devel- 
opment of a business. 

The first Arnold envelope machine cutting 
the bag-style envelope from the roll of paper 
having been abandoned as a failure, Mr. 
Arnold had turned his attention to the inven- 
tion and construction of another rotary 
envelope machine for making an envelope 
cut with a die of the style now in general use. 

The second Arnold envelope machine, 
while conceived probably about the year 1860, 
and worked on for years, was finally built 
in 1863-4 in a building on School street 
which stood where the fire engine house 
now stands. 

This second machine was also a pioneer 
invention but no applications for patents 
covering the inventions embodied in either 
the first or second Arnold machines were 
ever made, and while the machine was not 
practical, great originality was shown on 
the part of the inventor. 

30 



The more we know of those early condi- 
tions, the more cause for wonder that Mr. 
Arnold, being himself a patent solicitor, did 
not patent his own mechanical inventions. 

Some years ago, I obtained from Mr. D. 
Wheeler Swift a brief description of this 
second Arnold Rotary envelope machine 
for making an envelope cut with a die, the 
style of the envelope in general use at the 
present time, which description will, no doubt, 
be of interest to those now connected with 
the industry, and if not recorded now, the 
description of these first machines will be 
lost forever, for no drawings of them are in 
existence at the Patent Office or elsewhere, 
and soon all who had any knowledge of them 
will have passed away. 



Description by D. Wheeler Swift of the 
Second Arnold Rotary Envelope- 
Folding Machine, Invented 
Between 1860-1863. 

This machine had a horizontal cylinder 
or feed wheel about 18" in diameter attached 
to the rear end of the frame of the machine. 
This feed wheel was divided into twelve 
pockets and in each pocket was a bellows. 

As this feed wheel revolved the operator 
would drop about 100 envelope blanks into 
each pocket, to charge the wheel. As the 
wheel revolved the blanks were kept in place 
and prevented from dropping out on the 
under side by an automatic mechanism. As 
the feed wheel revolved it caused the bellows 



to contract and expand, and this produced 
a suction through the holes on that side of 
the bellows where the envelope blanks rested, 
and in passing by the center of gravity on 
the top of the feed wheel, the blanks would 
fall away, leaving one blank held in place 
by suction. Then this one blank would be 
snatched away by a system of feed rolls 
and tapes, and carried to a cylinder that 
creased the blanks where the folds were to 
be made. On this cylinder were four small 
nipper knives so placed that they would 
cut off any excess of paper that might pro- 
ject beyond the creased corner of the folded 
envelope as there would be more or less varia- 
tion where the tape system was used as a 
conveyance. The blank was then taken 
by an 18" cylinder having six pairs of grippers 
and drawn through a pair of hemmers which 
folded the end flaps of the blanks. 

After leaving the hemmers it was taken 
to a position directly over a vertical moving 
steel gate, to which was attached the die for 
gumming the back flap. There was another 
die for gumming the seal flap so arranged 
as to work or not to work according to 
whether the sealing flap of the envelopes 
were to be gummed or ungummed. Enve- 
lopes up to this time were very largely 
ungummed, being sealed with wafers or 
sealing wax. 

The steel gate in its upward movement 
struck the blank in the crease of the back 
flap and took it up into the chain dryer 
which was located directly over the gate, and 
this movement caused the back flap to be 

12 




folded down and the envelope was left in 
the dryer with the seal flap projecting from 
the dryer to permit the gum to dry. 

The cut shown on this 
page shows the construc- 
tion of the drying chain, 
which is believed to be 
the first drying chain ever 
used in an envelope ma- 
ARN °cha E ?S V1NG ■ 5 3 chine. This drying chain 
1853-6 ^((f.. was made of small blocks 

of wood the size of the 
envelope and about one-half inch thick on 
which was pasted strips of rough woolen cloth 
so as to give friction by which the envelopes 
were held between the blocks. 

A section of this chain from the original 
machine hangs at the present time in the 
General Manager's Office and will be given 
a place of honor in the museum which it is 
our purpose to establish at the Logan, 
Swift & Brigham Div. of the United States 
Envelope Co., Worcester, Mass. 

This chain dryer, as it passed round, took 
the envelopes to the counting mechanism 
where they passed between a set of rolls 
which folded down the seal flap and delivered 
the envelopes into a pocket in another end- 
less chain, each compartment or pocket 
holding twenty-five envelopes, from which 
pocket the operator took them and banded 
them. 

Mr. David Whitcomb, while having 
advanced a considerable sum of money for 
the development of the Arnold machines, 

13 



still had doubts as to whether the making 
of envelopes would ever develop into much 
of a business. He also had doubts as to the 
practical value of the envelope-making 
machine invented by his neighbor, Arnold, 
so he laid the whole matter before his old- 
time friend and former customer, Mr. J. C. 
Parsons, one of the founders of the Parsons 
Paper Co., of Holyoke, Mass., to whom 
he had in former years, when a member of 
the firm of Boynton & Whitcomb, Tem- 
pleton, .Mass., sold rags to be used in the 
manufacture of paper. 

Mr. Parsons was for his day a very pro- 
gressive man who believed in the future, 
though some of his friends looked upon him 
as visionary when, in 1854, he built at Holyoke, 
Mass., a paper mill (The Parsons Paper Co.), 
which was to manufacture one and one-half 
tons of writing paper per day, which his 
friends and business acquaintances predicted 
they would never be able to sell. This first 
Holyoke paper-making machine, installed 
by the Parsons Paper Co., was a 62" Four- 
drinier and was built and installed by Goddard 
Rice & Co. of Worcester, Mass., which firm 
later was succeeded by Rice, Barton & Fales 
Co., of Worcester, Mass. 

It is an interesting fact that the first 
paper made by the Parsons Paper Co. in 
Holyoke, Mass., was made from rags which 
were bought from Boynton & Whitcomb 
and were sent by four-horse teams from 
Templeton to Holyoke, Mass. This state- 
ment was made to the writer either by Mr. 
Whitcomb or Mr. Parsons, I cannot now 

14 



recall which, but it was by either one or the 
other. 

Mr. Parsons assured Mr. Whitcomb of 
his belief that some day there would be a 
demand for envelopes, and, looking back, we 
can now see the shrewd Yankee in Mr. 
Parsons, who, by his optimism in connec- 
tion with envelope making, was creating a 
demand for the paper which he was to manu- 
facture and which he hoped to sell, and so 
Mr. G. Henry Whitcomb became interested 
in the envelope industry and in the further 
development of the Arnold envelope-making 
machine, and late in the fall of 1864 the Bay 
State Envelope Co., G. Henry Whitcomb, 
Proprietor, began the manufacture of envel- 
opes on the Second Arnold machine in a 
building on School street. 

With the heroic faith of the inventor, 
Mr. Arnold believed in his machine and in 
his ability to make it finally a mechanical 
success. The machine which he had built 
required his constant care to keep it running 
(a trick some envelope machines have even 
today), and he desired to be freed from 
this constant care in order that he might 
devote all his time to the improvement of his 
machine and the construction of other 
machines. Recognizing the mechanical skill 
of Henry D. Swift, whom he had met through 
his church connection (both Mr. Arnold 
and Mr. Swift being members of the Society 
of Friends), Mr. Arnold, in the fall of 1864, 
made overtures to him to enter the employ 
of the Bay State Envelope Co. Mr. Swift 
was working at his trade as a cabinet maker 

15 



w. 



on Union street, Worcester, Mass., and did 
not feel that he could leave a certainty for 
an uncertainty, taking up a new and experi- 
mental line of work in a business which did 
not seem to give much promise for the 
future, but he suggested that his younger 
brother, D. Wheeler Swift, who at that time 
was unmarried, and was out of work, might 
be willing to come from South Dedham, Mass., 
and make the venture. The 
imposition was made to D. 
heeler Swift, and about 
Thanksgiving, November, 1864, 
he came to Worcester and be- 
gan work running the Arnold 
machine in the shop on School 
street, where the machine had 
been built. He had been led 
to suppose when he came to 
Worcester that the machine 
wheeler swift, was a practical success, but such 
1867, aged 27 was not the case. 

Mr. Arnold then left him with the girl 
operator to wrestle with the machine while 
he devoted his time to its further develop- 
ment. 

It is an interesting fact that this machine 
was operated by the girl (Miss Mary Spiers) 
who afterward became the wife of Mr. Iver 
Johnson, founder of the Iver Johnson Arms 
& Cycle Works, now located at Fitchburg, 
Mass. 

Early in 1865, the factory was moved from 
School street to Main street, near Walnut 
street. 

16 




Almost this entire year was spent in try- 
ing to make this second Arnold machine do 
the impossible. The machine would not 
make marketable goods. Other inventors 
had made progress with envelope-making 
machinery and envelope machines were for 
sale in the open market, among them a 
machine invented by Geo. H. Reay of New 
York (to which reference has been made in 
the record of the development of the envelope 
business in New York City). 

In the Main street factory while they tried 
hard to reach a product of 100 M. per day, 
they never quite succeeded in accomplishing 
it. We have in our possession the daily record 
of production where day after day, for weeks, 
they struggled to get over the 100 M. mark, 
and while many times they got over 90 M. 
they could never quite reach the 100 M. goal. 

The Bay State En- 
velope Co. now made 
plans for the enlarge- 
ment of the business 
by the erection of a 
factory building on 
Bigelow Court, now 
Mercantile street, Wor- 
cester, Mass., which 
they moved into in 
January, 1866. _ The 
new factory building 
was 37 x 60, three sto- 
ries, with attic and 
basement, making an area of about 11,000 
square feet of floor space, power being fur- 

17 













48?" " -v 






w*\ / 






(M3 






% P*uP*f 


% m § 




ilp^ 


W"\i y 


'"-=-- 





THE CALORIC ENGINE. 
2 H. P. 




nished by a 2 H. P. Caloric Engine, of the 
type shown on page 17. 

The name of the company was 
now changed from the Bay State 
Envelope Co. to G. Henry Whit- 
comb & Co., Mr. David Whit- 
comb retiring from Calvin Foster 
& Co., and becoming actively 
interested in the envelope busi- 
ness. 

Early in 1866, several Reay 
envelope machines were pur- 
1866, aged 58 ' chased and Mr. F. C. Graves, 
who later in life was for forty years connected 
with the Plimpton Mfg. Co. of Hartford, 
Conn., was sent to Worcester to install the 
machinery and eventually more than twenty 
Reay machines were in operation. 

In addition several envelope machines in- 
vented by Duff & Keating of New York were 
added to the equipment and Mr. Abram A. 
Rheutan, who afterwards was for many years 
superintendent of the W. H. Hill Env. Co. 
Division, was sent to Worcester to super- 
intend the installation. 

Before the factory was moved from Main 
street to the new building, the second Arnold 
machine was finally abandoned, and, as the 
room it occupied was needed for other ma- 
chines, it was taken from the Main street 
factory to be put in storage where space 
was less valuable. 

This was before the day of elevators, and 
as the machine was being hoisted by block 

18 



and tackle into the storage building, the 
tackle broke and the Arnold machine fell 
to the ground and was carried to the junk 
heap in baskets, and thus ended about ten 
years of experimental work on two pioneer 
envelope machines which, while not mechan- 
ical successes, were not complete failures, for 
there were embodied in them mechanical 
principles which make possible most of the 
self -gumming envelope machines in the world 
today, the most important contribution being 
the chain dryer. 

Appreciating the crudeness of 
the envelope machinery he was 
operating and seeing future pos- 
sibilities of the business from 
the mechanical side and recog- 
nizing the inventive ability of 
his brother, D. Wheeler Swift, 
persuaded the Whitcombs to re- 
new the offer made through Mr. 
Arnold to his brother Henry 
D . Swift a year and a half before 
i860, aged 30 to become associated with him; 
and as the envelope business was no longer 
an experiment but gave promise of per- 
manence, Henry D. Swift accepted the offer 
and soon after moving to the new factory on 
Bigelow Court early in 1866, he became an 
assistant to his brother D. Wheeler _ Swift, 
and they were never again separated in their 
life-work ; and it is probably safe to say that 
no two men in the world have rendered a 
larger service to the envelope industry — 
and what of these two men ? 





H. D. & D. W. SWIFT, 
About 1866 

Henry D. Swift was born May 21, 1833, 
and Daniel Wheeler Swift was born June 12, 
1840. They were the sons of Hepzibah and 
Daniel Swift who with his brother Seth were 
blacksmiths and millwrights and were en- 
gaged in the building of sailing vessels at 
West Falmouth, Mass., and it was here the 
two brothers who were to play such an im- 
portant part in the mechanical development 
of the envelope industry were born. 

20 



Their father and uncle were ingenious men, 
possessing the mechanical instinct in a won- 
derful degree. They were men of sterling 
integrity and when in 1846, by the loss of a 
sailing vessel (the William Penn) in the 
Pacific Ocean, the firm failed, their modest 
competence was swept away and they were 
left in very straightened circumstances. The 
changing conditions of the United States mer- 
chant marine from sailing vessels to steam- 
ships, more than the loss of this single vessel, 
was the real cause of their failure, but the 
loss of this vessel was the climax of their 
troubles. 

At this time Henry D. was thirteen and 
D. Wheeler was six years of age and the 
changed conditions of the family made it 
necessary that the boys should early in life 
begin to care for themselves. They had both 
inherited the mechanical instinct and both 
at an early age developed a fondness for 
tools, so Henry D. was sent to North Fair- 
haven, Mass., to learn the trade of cabinet- 
making. D. Wheeler remained on the farm, 
using his spare time tinkering with such 
primitive tools as were available, and before 
he was sixteen years of age, had constructed 
a wood-turning lathe and with this lathe had 
made the kit of tools which he took with him 
when he went a few years later to learn his 
trade in a furniture factory at South Ded- 
ham (now Norwood, Mass.). 



21 



In 1852, J. P. Martin of Philadelphia, Pa., 
invented a Clothes Wringer for which patent 
No. 9302 was issued Oct. 5, 1852, his method 
being to make his machines repeat the wring- 
ing operation of the washerwoman, as shown 
in the cut. 



I 



i 




From drawing filed with application of J. P. Martin. 
Patent issued No. 9302, Oct. 5, 1852. 



While other wringers were probably in- 
vented, this was, I believe, the first and only 
wringer patented until the year 1862, when 
the Swift Brothers invented a clothes 
wringer, the patent being No. 34276, issued 
to D. Wheeler Swift, Jan. 28, 1862, for an 
"Improved Clothes Wringing Machine," 
which was called the "Eureka Improved 
Clothes Squeezer," and after over fifty years 
it is still being manufactured. 

22 



From drawing filed with 

application of D. Wheeler Swift 

Patent issued No. 34276, 

Jan. 28, 1862. 




The Swifts then moved to South Dedham 
(now Norwood, Mass.) and hired space in 
the factory of Geo. H. Morrill & Co., manu- 
facturers of printing inks, and began the man- 
ufacture of their improved wringer. 




Photograph of Model, Swift's Eureka Clothes Squeezer 
Patent No. 34276, issued Jan. 28, 1862. 




The Eureka Clothes Wringer now being sold in the market, 1916. 
23 



They had a good patent but the vulcanized 
rubber used for the rolls was controlled by a 
monopoly (though this was long before the 
day of trusts). Their wringer was without 
value unless they could procure the vulcanized 
rubber rolls, and as they could not procure 
the rubber rolls at a price at which they could 
market their wringer they were finally forced 
out of the business. They had marketed 
their wringers through a commission mer- 
chant in Boston, the son of a personal friend, 
and through this same commission merchant 
they now opened up negotiations for the sale 
of their patent at the best price they could 
obtain. The patent was finally sold for 
$3,000.00 to a man by the name of M. J. 
Cluff, who, after the close of the war went 
south as a carpet bagger, and who, during the 
reconstruction period was engaged in raising 
cotton, and who, being afflicted with a sharp 
Yankee tongue and out of touch with the 
people, got into trouble with some of his 
southern neighbors and was finally shot. 
The advertisement calling the attention of the 
public to this labor-saving device is not 
without interest. 

DESCRIPTION OF EUREKA IMPROVED 
CLOTHES SQUEEZER 

"The severest labor of washing day is the 
wringing of the moisture out of the clothes 
so they may become clean and dry speedily. 
Some benefactor of his race (to whom the 
female portion ought to erect a monument) 
discovered that the water might be driven 
out by pressure, and consequently there have 
been many machines for the purpose alluded 

24 



to, made upon this principle. We illustrate 
this week another one, which has some very 
excellent features. The two rollers, G & F, 
are covered with vulcanized rubber, and have 
short axles upon either end, which run in 
bearings formed for them in the springs, E; 
they are operated by a crank projecting at 
one side. These springs are shaped like the 
letter U, placed horizontally, and made very 
strong and stiff, sufficiently so to exert a 
powerful pressure on any substance intro- 
duced between them. The wooden portion, 
C, is attached to the legs, J ; these are fastened 
to the washtub by thumb screws, D; by 
means of the latter, the squeezer can be 
quickly and easily secured in its place and is 
then ready for use without further adjust- 
ment. All articles, whether thick or thin, 
can be squeezed between the rollers without 
injury, it is stated, to the most delicate 
fabric. The rollers give as the garments run 
through them and the springs admit of much 
elasticity of movement. We have one of 
these machines in our family and it is very 
much liked by those who use it. This in- 
vention was patented January 28, 1862. 
Further information respecting it may be 
obtained by addressing the assignee, M. J. 
Cluff, 288 Washington St., Boston." 

The commission merchant who negotiated 
the sale of the patent charged the Swifts the 
royal commission of 33^% for his services, 
and after the sale had been effected they were 
unable to collect the balance due them from 
their agent, and after weary months of wait- 
ing, having received nothing for their patent 

25 



but broken promises of a settlement, they 
were informed by their agent that he had 
become involved in financial difficulties and 
that the money had been lost and that he 
would be unable to pay them anything, and 
this was the only promise he ever made them 
which he kept. 

In starting their venture they had been 
obliged to borrow most of the money for 
their equipment and working capital, and 
this had been all swept away in the wreck. 
So they turned their backs on about five 
years of hard labor with financial failure as 
the goal which they had finally reached, 
and faced the future with a legacy of debt, 
going back to the bench at day wages out of 
which they paid up their indebtedness, one 
hundred cents on the dollar with 10% in- 
terest until the last dollar was paid. But 
they paid in full. 




Illustrating the way in which the Arnold Cutting Press was operated. 

Mr. Arnold also invented and built an 
envelope-cutting press which was operated 

26 



by hand. The paper with the die properly 
located on the sheet was placed under the 
platten of the press, then the cutter going to 
the side of the press grasped the long hand 
bar or lever and pulling down the bar in the 
same manner that an ordinary hand draw 
knife used to be operated in small printing 
offices, the envelope die was forced down 
through the paper, and this style of cutting 
press was in use until after the product of G. 
Henry Whitcomb Co. was over 100 M. per 
day. (See illustration.) The installation of 
Reay machines was a hard blow to Mr. 
Arnold who thus found himself distanced in 
the race and, though this ended his work of 
invention in envelope machinery, he never 
lost his interest in the development of the 
industry. 

' Up to this time D. Wheeler Swift, with the 
aid of his brother and one other man, had 
practically done about everything, he being 
superintendent, foreman, adjuster, cutter, 
gum mixer, engineer, fireman, packer, ship- 
per, janitor, and handy man generally, his 
wages being $15.00 per week for practically 
all his waking hours, his first duty being to 
open the factory and light the fires in the 
morning, and his last duty to lock up the 
factory at night. 

Years ago, and until within a few years, 
the people of Falmouth, Sandwich, and other 
Massachusetts Cape towns, used to string 
and tie shipping tags in their homes for the 
Dennison Mfg. Co. 

The inventive mind of Henry D. Swift, in 
1863, taught him that this work could be 



27 



done by machinery, and forthwith his fertile 
brain wrought out a machine of which he 
made a working model which would thread 
the tag and tie the knot. 

He was then twenty-three years of age 
and delighted with his invention; and seeing 
the possibilities of his machine, which gave 
promise of large returns which he needed 
to pay up the debts incurred in the wringer 
enterprise, he showed the model to his wife, 
who saw at once that this machine would 
take the place of hand stringing and tying 
which was being done in the homes of all their 
friends and neighbors; and, with the feeling 
that this would deprive them of their liveli- 
hood, she was greatly depressed, and for 
weeks suffered, saying, if he completed that 
machine she would never use a penny of the 
money that came from it. She finally pre- 
vailed upon her husband not to develop it, 
and he never did, though he told me years 
afterward that it did its work almost per- 
fectly. 

Once, in talking with the late H. K. Dyer, 
President of the Dennison Mfg. Co., I told 
him about this invention and he asked me 
to ask Mr. Swift if he would develop it 
then; but when I put the question to Mr. 
Swift, he said, "No, James, not now. That 
was a dream of long ago. I once said I would 
never do it, and the chapter is closed." 

Mrs. Swift never felt that way about any 
other invention of her husband's, but in this 
case, she was so near to the problem which 
would confront all her friends and neighbors 
that no personal gain of her own could offset 

28 



their sorrow and loss and so the world waited 
for years for other men to do what Mr. Swift 
had done in 1863. 

In the July, 1916, number of the Red En- 
velope, I wrote an appreciation of Mr. Henry 
D. Swift, in which I said he was the nearest 
approach to a saint that I ever expected to 
meet on this side of the Great Divide. This 
feeling was shared by others and I once heard 
one of our workmen in his crude way pay 
him this compliment : 

Two of the workmen had had some trouble 
and both were so angry that reason had de- 
parted and the air was fairly sizzling with 
electricity. Mr. Swift acted as the peace- 
maker, and after he had ironed out the 
trouble and both men had gone back to their 
work, one of the men said to his benchmate : 
"When that man Swift dies the Devil will 
never know he is dead till after he has been 
in Paradise for weeks." 

While the Swifts were paying up their in- 
debtedness, Henry D. Swift came to Worces- 
ter, Mass., in the spring of 1864, and found 
employment as a woodturner in the cabinet 
shop of John M. Goodell on Cypress street, 
at $9.00 per week, which was afterwards in- 
creased to $12.00 per week. D. Wheeler 
Swift following in the fall of the same year 
to begin work for the Whitcombs as an as- 
sistant to Mr. Arnold in the envelope business 
at $15.00 per week. 

The Swift brothers working together early 
began to make improvements on the envelope 
machines they were operating, none of which 

29 



improvements were patented, but which 
were applied to the machines they were then 
running. 

One of their first inventions was an auto- 
matic band embosser and cutter which they 




Bed of Swift's Round Table Envelope Machine, from drawings filed 

with the application for patent by H. D. & D. W. Swift. 

Patent No. 115,382, issued May 30, 1871. 

operated for years. They also invented a 
machine for embossing valentine envelopes 
which they were then manufacturing for 
manufacturers of valentines, an industry 
which had its birth in this country in Worces- 
ter, Massachusetts. 

The Swifts soon began work on an envelope 
machine of an entirely new type, which was 
finally developed into what became known 
as the Swift Round Table Machine, for which 
they made application for a patent, the pat- 

30 



ent being issued, No. 115,382, May 30, 1871. 
The Swift Round Table envelope machine 
was simple in construction (as all the Swift 
inventions were) and was built at a cost of 
about $350.00, while the price of the Reay 
machines at that time was $800.00 with an 
additional charge of $150.00 for each change. 
In addition, the Swift Round Table machine 
had an increased capacity of about 30% over 
the Reay machine, making 35 M. per day 
of ten hours, the product of-the Reay machine 
being about 25 M. per day, while at the same 
time the Swift machine made much less 
waste and required much less supervision, 
the burden of the Swifts always being to 
make their machines what they used to call 
"fool proof." 




H. D. & D. W. Swift's Round Table Envelope Machine. 
Patent No. 115,382, issued May 30, 1871. 

One of the characteristics of all the Swift 
inventions was simplicity. They were natural 



inventors and went to their goal by the 
most direct route. Envelopes made on both 
the Reay and the Swift Round Table ma- 
chines were gummed by hand, the blanks 
being overlapped as they now are on 
hand -sealed work. The Swifts then in- 
vented, patented and built, a sealing machine 
which gummed the sealing flap, the patent 
No. 115,381 being issued May 30, 1871. 




Sealing Machine, from drawings filed with the application for patent 
by H. D. & D. W. Swift. Patent No. 115,381, issued May 30, 1871. 

This sealing machine had a capacity for 
sealing the flaps of about 35 M. envelopes 
per day of 10 hours, so that the two machines, 
one for sealing the flap and the other for 
folding the envelope, made a complete equip- 
ment. 

To show how rapidly the business was de- 
veloping, how one invention was following 
another in rapid succession, I might add 
that the Swift sealing machine was patented 
in 1871. I entered the employ of G. Henry 
Whitcomb Co. in April, 1878, and I never 



saw one of these sealing machines. They 
had been invented, patented, the factory 
completely equipped with them, and they 
had disappeared in the scrap heap, all inside 
of seven years. 




Model of H. D. & D. W. Swift Envelope Sealing Machine. 
Patent No. 115,381, issued May 30, 1871. 

The G. Henry Whit comb Co. now dis- 
posed of their Reay machines and equipped 
their factory throughout with the new Swift 
Sealing machines and Round Table Folding 
machines and immediately took their place 
in the very front rank in the envelope in- 
dustry. By this time the Bigelow Court 
factory, even though it had been increased 
in size, had become far too small for the 
rapidly expanding business and plans were 
matured in 1872 for the erection of a building 
at No. 20 Salisbury street, the building being 
completed in 1873. Additions were made in 
1878, 1886 and 1892. It is still the home of 

33 



the Whitcomb Env. Co. Division of the 
United States Envelope Company. 

Urged on by the impelling spirit of the 
inventor, the Swifts were not satisfied with 




Swift Chain Dryer Envelope Machine, from drawings filed with 

application for Patent by H. D. & D. W. Swift. 

Patent No. 173,870, issued Feb'y 22, 1876. 

what they had been able to accomplish with 
the Round Table envelope machine and 
sealing machine. The goal which they de- 
sired to reach was a self-gumming envelope 
machine which would make the completed 
envelope on one machine, and in 1875, four 
years after they had developed the Round 
Table machine and sealer, they reached their 
goal. Applications for patents on this ma- 
chine, which was known as the "Swift Chain 
Dryer machine," were made, the patent No. 
173,870 being issued February 22, 1876. 

34 



The Swift Chain Dryer envelope machine 
was not the first self-gumming and folding 
machine, as it will be remembered that Way- 
mouth had invented and patented on Sept. 
25, 1866, a self-gumming and folding ma- 
chine. (Described in the October, 1916, 
number of the Red Envelope). The Way- 
mouth machine used for its drying chain 




H. D. & D. W. Swift's Chain Dryer Envelope Machine. 
Patent No. 173,870, issued Feb'y 22, 1876. 

an "endless apron" (probably of canvas or 
leather) with "radiating arms" for receiving 
the envelopes after they were folded. 

It will be remembered that Arnold in 
1853-56 had provided a drying chain for 
use in connection with his experimental 
machine (Referred to in October, 1916, num- 
ber of the Red Envelope). The fingers of 



the Arnold drying chain were made of wood, 
although the wooden fingers were connected 
together by metal joints. One of the great 




H. D. & D. W. Swift's Chain Dryer Envelope Machine. 
Patent No. 173,870, issued Feb'y 22, 1876. 

defects of the Arnold dryer, or any drying 
device such as made by Waymouth, would 
come from the shrinkage or stretching of the 
canvas belt or apron. The Arnold Dryer 
could never be depended upon to bring the 
pocket or fingers in proper registration with 
the point in the machine where the envelopes 
were to be delivered to it, and in the self- 
gumming machine invented by the Swifts 
and patented on Feb. 22, 1876, an all-metal 
chain dryer was used. 

In this dryer each link or finger had pro- 
jections which held it away from the fingers 
next adjacent to it. These projections also 

36 



evenly spaced every link from those next 
to it. The Swift Chain Dryer could not be 
patented broadly, doubtless because of the 
previous Waymouth patent, but this all- 
metal chain dryer was, nevertheless, a dis- 
tinct advantage over the Arnold dryer and 
that shown in the Waymouth patent. 

On Feb. 25, 1879, the Swifts patented an- 
other machine which came largely as a de- 
velopment of the machine of 1876. The 
principal improvement, as described in patent 
of above date, was a new drum dryer; that is, 
the drying fingers instead of being attached 
to a flexible belt or apron linked together in 
an endless chain, as in the case of the 1876 
machine, were fixed on the periphery of a 
rigid drum. This drum had about eighty 
fingers, while the old chain dryer had from 
180 to 200. 

The drum, being of solid construction and 
made as a single unit, was capable of more 
accurate construction than the belt or all- 
metal chain dryer of former days. Before 
the advent of the drum dryer it was a very 
difficult matter to get castings sufficiently 
accurate to make a good chain dryer. A 
very slight inequality in each link would 
amount to a great deal when 180 to 200 were 
put together in a chain. 

In the construction of the drum dryer, 
the base of each finger was machined and 
was nicely fitted into a mill slot in the per- 
iphery of the drum. Because of this accurate 
construction, there was never any question 
about the registration of the pocket or finger 



coming in line with the envelope as it was 
delivered from the conveyor. In the case of 
the chain it was necessary to spread the 
links radially or open them up at the point 
of delivery so as to receive the envelope. In 
the drum dryer, because of the great accuracy 
of the construction, this was unnecessary. 




Drawings filed with the application for patent, Swift's Drum Dryer 
Envelope Machine. Patent No. 212,634, issued Feb'y 25, 1879. 

Furthermore the drum dryer, being cir- 
cular in shape, had a hollow iron casing 
around its circumference through which 
the air for drying the envelopes was blown 
directly across the seal flaps where it was 
wanted. This air was supplied by an indi- 
vidual fan on the machine. Because of its 
efficiency in drying, it was possible to use a 
dryer with only about 80 fingers in place of 
the old chain dryer which had 180 to 200, 



as stated before. The utility of the so-called 
basket or drum dryer machine is well ex- 
plained in claim 3 of the patent which covers 
it, that is, Feb. 25, 1879. 

"3. The combination of the revolving 
drum D, having fixed projecting fingers FF', 
&c, of the air chamber R, with holes ee', 
&c, to direct a blast across the envelopes 
from end to end, of the pawl P and ratchet 
wheel W, operated by the cam G and levers 
L I/, all forming a drying apparatus for 
envelope machines, substantially as shown 
and described. " 

It was now proposed to operate this new 
type of envelope -folding machine in pairs, 
but not a girl in the shop would try it, which 
only goes to prove that human nature does 
not change very much in its attitude toward 
improvements in machinery or new methods 
of production. Though there is not so much 
opposition to machinery as formerly, it still 
continues to be a difficult problem to change 
old hide-bound methods. Those who know 
so well that "it can't be done" are usually 
unwilling to try. 

The power loom, spinning frame and hun- 
dreds of other inventions, in fact about 
every new machine or changed method, meets 
with opposition, and a battle has to be fought 
before the larger service can be rendered — 
and running two of these new envelope ma- 
chines was no exception to the general rule 
— "it could not be done," etc.; and, worse 
yet, no one was willing to make the attempt. 

Mr. D. Wheeler Swift had both tact and 



that God - given Quaker quality, patience, 
so he was willing to wait his time. In talking 
with different girls, he assumed in his con- 
versation with them that probably not a 
single girl in the shop would be smart enough 
to run the double machines; and, after a good 




Drum Dryer Envelope Machine, H. D. & D. W. Swift. 
Patent No. 212,634, issued July 25, 1879. 

deal of badgering with the girl who sits at 
the machine in the cut on page 36, she said 
she knew she could do it. This he questioned 
with a good deal of vigor, but, being a good 
Quaker, he could not bet with her, but he 
told her if she was smart enough to do it, he 
would give her a ten-dollar bill the day she 
ran the two machines a full day, and so she 
did the thing that "couldn't be done" and 
got the ten dollars, and she continued to run 
them and other girls did the same, and the 
double machines came into their own. 

The capacity of the Drum Dryer ma- 
chine was 35 M. completed envelopes per 
day — they were run in pairs set at a right 
angle, so that the operator sat between the 
two machines. The product of the operative 




JAMES LOGAN 
"THE G. M." 

1878, Aged 26 



running two machines was thus increased 
to approximately 70 M. envelopes per day 
of 10 hours which once more put G. Henry 
Whit comb & Co. ahead of all competitors. 

The business continued to 
grow and on June 1, 1878, 
James Logan was added to the 
office staff as an assistant to Mr. 
Whitcomb and he eventually 
became the correspondent, trav- 
eling salesman, and practically 
manager, though he never had 
that official title, continuing 
in that capacity until December, 
1882, when he severed his con- 
nection with the Company to 
form with Geo. H. Lowe, who 
had for many years been connected with 
Carter, Rice & Co., of Boston, Mass., the 
Logan & Lowe Envelope Co., and in January, 
1883, they began the manufacture of envel- 
opes in a small way with seven machines in 
the Stevens Block on South- 
bridge street. 

In April, 1883, a proposition 
was made to Mr. Logan to re- 
turn to G. Henry Whitcomb & 
Co. to enter the firm, and at 
the same time Carter, Rice & 
Co., of Boston, made overtures 
to Mr. Lowe to return to his 
former employers to enter the 
firm, and in August, 1883, the 
arrangements were completed geo. h. lowe 
and the firm of Logan & about 27 years of 
Lowe Envelope Co. was dissolved. 
G. Henry Whitcomb & Co. had up to this 





JOHN S. BRIGHAM 
About 1870 



time been a co-partnership. It was now , 
proposed to organize a corporation with « 
$150,000.00 capital to be known as the Whit- 
comb Envelope Co. Differences arose in i r 
connection with the organization of the cor- \._; 
poration and, as a result, in 
January, 1884, James Logan, 
Henry D. Swift, D. Wheeler 
Swift and John S. Brigham sev- 
ered their connection with the 
Whitcomb Envelope Company, 
and on February 28th, 1884, the 
Logan, Swift & Brigham Env. 
Co. was organized and com- 
menced the manufacture of 
envelopes at 16 Union street, 
Worcester, Mass., using the 
machinery which had formed 
the plant of the Logan & Lowe Envelope Co. 
John S. Brigham was born in Worcester, 
Mass., May 12, 1847, completing his high- 
school course at the age of 18. His first 
position was a bookkeeper for J. H. Clark & 
Co., dealers in dry goods, which 
position he held for about a year. 
He was then employed by D. 
H. Eames & Co., clothing deal- 
ers, and from there he went to 
G. Henry Whitcomb & Co. in 
1867. For years, while working 
for the Whitcomb Co., he kept 
the books of the Worcester 
Horse Railroad Company even- 
ings. He remained with the 
Whitcomb Co. 17 years, leaving 
in 1884 to become the Treas- 
urer of the Logan, Swift & Brigham Env. Co. 




JOHN S. BRIGHAM 
[About 1885 




He was a rare man, kindly and thoughtful 
for others, of splendid ability and of strictest 
integrity. He served the City of Worcester 
as Councilman for two terms and had he 
been willing to serve could have had still 
higher honors. 

In March, 1884, Mr. John A. 
Sherman became the superin- 
tendent of the Whitcomb En- 
velope Co. and remained with 
the Companyuntil Nov. 3, 1898, 
when he resigned to organize 
the Sherman Envelope Com- 
pany, Worcester, Mass. 

Mr. Sherman was born in 
Brimfield, Mass., June 6, 1852, 
and before coming to the Whit- 
comb Envelope Co. he had been 
connected with the Ames Plow Co., Worces- 
ter, Mass., and the Norton Door Check and 
Spring Co., Boston, Mass. 

On July 8, 1887, David Whitcomb, Presi- 
dent of the Whitcomb Envelope Co., died 
at the ripe age of 79 years. With his death 
the industry lost one of the men who has left 
an enduring mark on the envelope business 
and also on the city of Worcester which is the 
largest envelope-making center in the United 
States. It was largely through his influence 
that his cousin and partner in early life, John 
Boynton, of Templet on, Mass., founded the 
Worcester Polytechnic Institute at Worcester, 
Mass., of which Mr. Whitcomb was a trustee 
from the incorporation of the Institute in 
1865 to 1884, when on account of his health 



JOHN A. SHERMAN 
Born 1852 



43 



he resigned, and his son, G. Henry Whitcomb, 
became a member of the Board. 



Mr. Whitcomb served as Treasurer 
Institute from 1865 to 1876. He was 
elected Treasurer in 1881, but 
on account of his health de- 
clined to serve and purchased his 
release from the duties of the 
office by presenting the Institute 
with $20,000.00, thus creating 
the David Whitcomb fund. He 
made other gifts to the Insti- 
tute at different times, aggre- 
gating approximately $7,000.00. 



of the 
again 




DAVID WHITCOMf 
1808—1887 



When the United States En- 
velope Co. was organized on 

August 18, 1898, Mr. G. Henry 
Whitcomb retired from the ac- 
tive management of the Whit- 
comb Envelope Co. and became 
a Director and Vice-President of 
the new company, which he 
continued to serve until his death 
on February 13, 1916, at the 
age of seventy-three years. 




Henry E. Whitcomb, son of 
henry whitcomb G. Henry Whitcomb, was born 
1842-1916 in Worcester, Massachusetts, 

August 18, 1871. He was graduated from 
Amherst College, with the class of 1894, 
and in the fall of the same year entered 
the employ of the Whitcomb Envelope 
Company and became Secretary and As- 
sistant Treasurer of the company. After 



44 



the organization of the United States En- 
velope Company, in 1898, he continued 
as manager of the Whitcomb Env. Co. Di- 
vision until Sept. 1, 1909, when 
he resigned to become the Treas- 
urer of the R. L. Morgan Co., 
Worcester, Mass. 



August 18, 1898, ten of the 
leading envelope companies of 
the United States, which in- 
cluded the Whitcomb Envelope 
Co., were consolidated into the 
United States Envelope Co., in- 
corporated under the laws of 
Maine. 




HENRY E. WHITCOMI 
1898, Aged 27 



As the mission of the Red Envelope is to 
preserve the history of the beginnings of the 
envelope industry, the organization of the 
United States Envelope Company may ap- 
propriately be regarded as the end of an era 
and the story of the early history of the Whit- 
comb Envelope Company as a separate cor- 
poration properly ends when it, with other 
corporations, was merged in the United States 
Envelope Company, on August 18, 1898. 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager. 




The Hall-mark of Quality 



Wc\t Slrii SttteUip? 



August, 1920 



Number 1 1 



The Road to France 

At last, thank God; at last we see 
There is no tribal Liberty. 
No beacon lighting just our shores. 
No freedom guarding but our doors. 
The flame she kindled for our sires 
Burns now in Europe's battle fires. 
The soul that led our fathers west 
Turns back to free the world's oppressed. 

— D. M. Henderson. 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



America 

beautiful for spacious skies, 

For amber waves of grain, 
For purple mountain majesties 

Above the fruited plain! 
America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee 
And crown thy good with brotherhood 

From sea to shining sea! 

beautiful for pilgrim feet, 

Whose stern, impassioned stress 
A thoroughfare for freedom beat 

Across the wilderness! 
America ! America ! 

God mend thine every flaw, 
Confirm thy soul in self-control, 

Thy liberty in law! 

beautiful for heroes proved 

In liberating strife, 
Who more than self their country loved, 

And mercy more than life! 
America! America! 

May God thy gold refine 
Till all success be nobleness 

And every grain divine! 

beautiful for patriot dream 

That sees beyond the years 
Thine alabaster cities gleam 

Undimmed by human tears! 
Ame rica ! America ! 

God shed his grace on thee 
And crown thy good with brotherhood 

From sea to shining sea! 

— Kaiherine Lee Bales. 



A Word of Explanation by 
the "G. M." 

This issue is No. 1 1 of the Red Envelope. No . 
1 was issued in April, 1917. 

In the first number of the Red Envelope the 
"G. M." said it would have no fixed date of issue. 
It would be issued when the spirit moved but not 
when it did not move. That its primary purpose 
was the preservation of the early history of the 
envelope industry, which meant searching the musty 
past for details, but the present has had so many 
insistent problems that thoughts on the past have 
had to be made secondary and set aside for the 
time being while we dealt with the vital problems 
of the living present. 

The work of furnishing supplies for the Red 
Cross and French wounded; Liberty Loan cam- 
paigns; Red Cross membership campaigns; the 
campaign of the Red Cross for one hundred millions 
of dollars; the National War Work Council cam- 
paign for funds for Y. M. C. A. work which pro- 
duced over fifty millions of dollars (of which the 
"G. M." was the New England Manager); the 
United War Work Campaign of the seven organ- 
izations working for our soldiers and sailors, which 
produced contributions of almost two hundred 
millions of dollars, of which again the "G. M." was 
the New England manager, with all the other 
subsidiary world causes which have called for time 
and thought and have been so absorbing for the 
needs of the nation and her soldier and sailor 



defenders, that things that could wait have had to 
wait, and hence the Red Envelope has not been 
issued for three years. 

We now take up the story where it was broken off 
in 1917. 

In this War Number of the Red Envelope we give 
the record, and, so far as possible, we show the face 
and form of our boys who responded to the call to 
the Colors, each doing the part assigned to him, 
whether serving at the home bases, manning the 
bridge of boats that spanned the sea, which made 
possible landing our boys in France, mine sweeping 
in the North Sea, or forming a part of that human 
wall fringed with fire and smoke and tipped with 
steel which stretched from the English Channel 
to the Alps, and which finally drove the Hun to the 
most ignominious surrender that any army ever 
made. 

Every one in any way connected with the Com- 
pany may take a justifiable pride in the record. 

Enough copies of this War Number will be printed 
so that the members of our "Industrial Family" 
may have as many as they wish. 

It is our purpose to have a bronze tablet at each 
Division, giving the names of the young men from 
that Division who placed their all, even life itself, 
upon their country's altar in the day of the world's 
need. 



The Change in Our Boy 

'Twas hard to think that he must go, 
We knew that we should miss him so; 
We thought that he must always stay 
Beside us, laughing, day by day, 
That he must never know the care 
And hurt and grief of life cut there, 
Then came the call fcr youth, and he 
Talked with his mother and with me, 
And suddenly we learned the boy 
Was hungering to know the joy 
Of dcing something real with life 
And that he craved the test of strife. 

And so we steeled ourselves to dread 
To see at night his empty bed, 
And feel the silence and the gloom 
That hovers o'er his vacant room; 
And, though we wept the day he went, 
And many a lonely hour we've spent, 
We've come to think as he, somehow, 
And we are more contented now; 
We're proud that we can stand and say 
We have a boy who's gone away, 
And we are glad to know that he 
Is serving where he ought to be. 

It's queer, the change that time has brought — 

We're different now in speech and thought; 

His letters home mean joy to us, 

His difficulties we discuss, 

When word of his promotion came, 

His mother, with her eyes aflame, 

With happiness and pride rushed out 

To tell the neighbors round about, 

Her boy! Her boy is doing well, 

What greater news can mothers tell? 

I think that pity now we show 

For them that have no boys to go. 

— Anon. 



Just by Way of Comparison 

The Kaiser versus Wilson, Kitchener 
and Pershing 

"No man ever did so much to teach spiritual 
apostasy to his people as the Kaiser. Not only 
is a nation unmoral, but immoral and depraved 
when it slays Jesus' little ones. The contrast 
between Hell and Heaven is not more striking than 
that between the Kaiser on the one hand and Wil- 
son, Kitchener and Pershing on the other. Not 
content with delivering his charge to his soldiers, 
the Kaiser printed it on millions of postal cards, and 
nothing in the Kaiser's career has been published 
so widely as the Kaiser's inhuman charge to his 
soldiers, pledging them to deeds of devilishness." 

The German Kaiser to His Troops 

Embarking for China, July 

27, 1900 

When you face the enemy he will be beaten! 
No quarter will be given! No prisoners will be 
taken! Whoever falls into your hands, let him be 
at your mercy! Just as the Huns a thousand years 
ago , under their king, Attila, gained a reputation 
in virtue of which they still appear mighty in tradi- 
tion and story, so may the name German be es- 
tablished by you in China in such manner that 
for a thousand years no Chinaman will ever again 
even dare to look askance at a German. 

— Berliner Tageblatt, July 28, 1900. 

"Now over against that put President Wilson's 
letter to the soldiers of the National Army; 
Kitchener's charge to all his soldiers, a charge 
reaffirmed and strengthened by General Pershing to 
the American troops." 



Letter from President Wilson to the Men 
of Our National Army 

The White House, Washington. 

To the Soldiers of the National Army: 

"You are undertaking a great duty. The heart 
of the whole country is with you. Everything that 
you do will be watched with the deepest interest 
and with the deepest solicitude not only by those 
who are near and dear to you, but by the whole 
nation besides. For this great war draws us all 
together, makes us all comrades and brothers, 
as all true Americans felt themselves to be when 
we first made good our national independence. The 
eyes of all the world will be upon you, because you 
are in some special sense the soldiers of freedom. 

"Let it be your pride, therefore, to show all men 
everywhere not only what good soldiers you are, 
but also what good men you are, keeping yourselves 
fit and straight in everything and pure and clean 
through and through. Let us set for ourselves a 
standard so high that it will be a glory to live up to 
it and then let us live up to it and add a new laurel 
to the crown of America. 

"My affectionate confidence goes with you in 
every battle and every test. God keep and guide 
you. 

"Woodrow Wilson." 



Letter from Lord Kitchener to His Men 
Going on Foreign Service 

"You are ordered abroad as a soldier of the 
King to help our French comrades against the 
invasion of a common enemy. You have to perform 
a task which will need your courage, your energy, 
your patience. Remember that the honor of the 
British Army depends upon your individual conduct. 
It will be your duty to not only set an example 
of discipline and perfect steadiness under fire, but 
also to maintain the most friendly relations with 
those whom you are helping in this struggle. The 
operations in which you are engaged will, for the 
most part, take place in a friendly country, and you 
can do your own country no better service than in 
showing yourself, in France and Belgium, in the 
true character of a British soldier. 

"Be invariably courteous, considerate and kind. 
Never do anything likely to injure or destroy prop- 
erty, and always look upon looting as a disgraceful 
act. You are sure to meet with a welcome and to 
be trusted; and your conduct must justify that 
welcome and that trust. Your duty cannot be done 
unless your health is sound. So keep constantly 
on your guard against any excesses. In this new 
experience you may find temptations both in wine 
and women. You must entirely resist both temp- 
tations, and while treating all women with perfect 
courtesy, you should avoid any intimacy. 

"Do your duty bravely. Fear God. Honor the 
King. 

"Kitchener, Field Marshal." 



General John J. Pershing's Message 
to His Men 

"Aroused against a nation waging war in viola- 
tion of all Christian principles, our people are 
fighting in the cause of liberty. 

"Hardship will be your lot, but trust in God will 
give you comfort. Temptation will befall you, but 
the teachings of our Saviour will give you strength. 

"Let your valor as a soldier and your conduct as 
a man be an inspiration to your comrades and an 
honor to your country." 



War's Recompense 

(The original of this verse was found on an Australian soldier 
who bravely fought and as nobly died. His name is 
as yet unknown.) 

Ye that have faith to look with fearless eyes 
Beyond the tragedy of a world at strife, 

And know that out of death and night shall rise 
The dawn of ampler life. 

Rejoice, whatever anguish rend the heart, 
That God has given you a priceless dower, 

To live in these great times and have your part 
In Freedom's crowning hour. 

That ye may tell your sons who see the light 
High in the Heavens — their heritage to take — 
"I saw the poweis of Darkness put to flight, 
I saw the Morning break." 



The United States of America 

By Janies Logan, the "G. M." 

For hundreds of years men had struggled blindly, 
sometimes confusedly, but always steadily upward 
toward that National freedom which makes Liberty 
the bulwark of prosperity and the fountain of happi- 
ness, until that day in July, one hundred and forty- 
four years ago, when upon this continent was 
founded a government based upon the rights of man. 

Our first thought of the United States is of 
material things, their abundance and grandeur, but 
it is more than that. The United States stands for 
an ideal, a thing of the spirit — you cannot tell 
what it is — you cannot express it in words. To 
even try to define it makes limitations; but, let the 
Stars and Stripes which stand for that ideal ripple 
out upon the breeze above our heads and we feel 
the inspiration of a living presence in our hearts, if 
we have the right kind of human hearts. 

Since 1777, the Stars and Stripes has been the 
emblem of this nation, which we believe is the most 
favored nation on which the sun shines. In the 
days that are behind us, beneath its sheltering 
folds, the weakest have sought and found protec- 
tion and the strongest and most unruly have been 
and will continue to be taught the lesson of obedi- 
ence to law. 

In the years from 1861 to 1865 that flag was 
purged from the curse and blight of slavery and for 
over half a century it has floated over a country 



that we have had a right to call the "land of the 
free and the home of the brave." 

In the years that are behind us that flag has repre- 
sented the highest aspiration of mankind and today, 
as never before, it stands for the hope of the world ; 
if the United States and her Allies had gone down in 
defeat, liberty as we have known it would, we fear , 
have perished from the earth. 

The men and women of this generation did not 
themselves achieve liberty — it was theirs by in- 
heritance, bought by the suffering sacrifice and 
shed blood of the generations who for the most part 
are now sleeping in their graves and they died 
bequeathing this priceless inheritance of liberty to 
us with the hope that it would be transmitted to 
the generations that shall come in the eternity of 
years that stretch before us into the great unknown 
future. 

In entering the world war we were put to the 
supreme test — we had our choice to determine 
whether or not America was "the home of the brave," 
whether we would defend our rights with our prop- 
erty and lives and continue to be the "land of the 
free," or whether we would play the part of cringing 
cowards, unworthy of the men and women of 76, 
'61 and '98, and consent to be ruled by the iron heel 
and mailed fist of an autocratic emperor in Europe. 

The die was cast and the fate of this nation and 
of the world was to be determined by how the young 
men of this generation would respond to the chal- 
lenge. 

It was once suggested that we might be too proud 
to fight, but let us thank God that we know now 
we were too proud not to fight. We entered the 
war with no selfish purpose, with no thought of 
material gain and without counting the material 



loss. We wanted nothing for ourselves but the right 
to live our own lives without dictation from an 
autocrat ruling by so-called divine right, and what 
we demanded for ourselves we demanded for all 
the nations of the earth. That was all, nothing 
more, and we would be satisfied with nothing less. 

In 1863, when a boy of eleven years of age, I 
went with my father to a war meeting in our home 
town of Leicester, Mass., when they were recruiting 
to fill the town's quota of men for the defense of the 
Union, as the nation in 1917 called for men for the 
defense of the world. Well do I remember that 
night and the memory of it thrills me now as through 
the vista of the years I look back and see two manly 
young officers looking down into the faces of Leices- 
ter men, making their appeal for volunteers, to make 
President Lincoln's work effective, and they said 
not "go," but "come," and nobly did the boys of 
Leicester and other towns and cities join in that 
mighty chorus which went up from school, store, 
office, farm and factory. 

"We are coming, Father Abraham, 
Three hundred thousand strong." 

June 5, 1917, the citizens of this country lived 
through one of the most eventful days that this 
world of ours has ever known, when almost ten 
million of the best and bravest of her young men 
between the ages of 21 and 31 said to the nation, 
over their signatures, "We are ready to serve our 
country." They pledged themselves to give months, 
perhaps years, out of their young lives, yes, life 
itself, to preserve for us the blessings that the fathers 
under Washington won and that the men of '61 
under Lincoln preserved, and our young men were 
called upon to preserve those blessings for us and 
our children's children. 

12 



Those were strenuous times and the war clouds 
hung dark and low on the horizon, but as a nation 
we were hardly conscious that we were at war and 
few had thought what the next Memorial Day might 
mean to some of us who had husbands, sons and 
brothers in the ranks, that before another year 
rolled past into the eternity of the years, before 
we commemorated another Memorial Day, there 
would be thousands of broken homes in our land, 
that thousands of our young men, perhaps our own 
sons, would have paid not alone for their country 
but, unselfishly, for the world "the last full measure 
of devotion," to borrow the inspired and immortal 
words of Lincoln, that kindly man whose sad and 
homely face was the index of a great and beautiful 
soul. 

The men in blue who fought the battles of the 
Civil War had almost completed their march and 
soon taps will be sounded for the last man. The 
line in khaki faded out of our sight here in America 
and soon broke in waves over the German trenches 
in France and Belgium, and the Stars and Stripes 
had another baptism of blood. 

The world has never before witnessed such 
heroism or such sacrifices where our Allies had 
gained ground on the firing line by the inch and paid 
for it with their lives. The first seven divisions of 
the British army that Lord French took to the 
rescue of Belgium and France in that fateful month 
of August, 1914, that intrepid army that the Kaiser 
called "The Contemptible Little English Army," 
made a record the like of which has not been re- 
corded since Thermopylae. 

Frederick Coleman, F. R. G. S., in the Saturday 
Evening Post of August 11, 1917, said: 

13 



"In August, 1914, the first division of the British 
Army under Sir Douglas Haig went to France 
fourteen thousand odd strong. In six months its 
casualties, total lists of killed, wounded and missing 
of all ranks had reached over thirty-four thousand — 
filled up more than twice with reserves, after twenty- 
eight days of continuous fighting, such of its regi- 
ments as the Queen's West Surreys, came out of 
the firing line with fifteen men and no officers left 
out of the battalion. The Black Watch mustered 
only sixty men and one officer. The loyal North 
Lancastershires but one hundred and fifty men and 
two officers. Such battalions as the First Cold 
Streams, the First Cameronians, the Second Wilt- 
shires and the Second Royal Scots, were wiped out 
to a man. No one was left to make a report. 

The sons of France, Belgium and Great Britain 
on the plains of Flanders purchased immortality, 
singing as they bled, and smiling as they died, while 
they were fighting our battle for liberty on the shell- 
torn fields of Europe, they made for their countries 
a place in the hearts and affections of the world 
such as was never known before. 

The Living Line 

As long as faith and freedom last, 

And earth goes round the sun, 
This stands — the British line held fast 

And so the fight was won. 

The greatest fight that ever yet 

Brought all the world to dearth; 
A fight of two great nations set 

To battle for the earth. 

* * * 

That bleeding line, that falling fence, 

That stubborn ebbing wave, 
That string of suffering human sense, 

Shuddered, but never gave. 



A living line of human flesh, 

It quivered like a brain; 
Swarm after swaim came on afresh 

And crashed, but crashed in vain. 

* * * 

The world shall tell how they stood fast, 

And how the fight was won, 
As long as faith and freedom last 

And earth goes round the sun. 

— Harold Begbie. 

Our young men went to form a part of that line 
which for almost three years had stretched across 
Europe from the English Channel to the Alps. They 
became an integral part of the immortal Belgian and 
French armies, and that thin line of British khaki, 
which in those awful months of 1914 gave ground 
tDgain time and bent before the mighty war machine 
of Germany which, after forty years of scientific 
preparation, swept across Belgium and France; but, 
though outnumbered at some points ten to one, 
while that thin line bent, let us thank God it did 
not break, and at the Marne it made its stand, held 
the German avalanche, blocked the passage to the 
sea, and saved both Europe and America. Let us 
in America not forget that. 

Our young men became a part of that immortal 
line which will be referred to through all the eternity 
of the years of coming time. They went to help 
finish the work of these heroes at the Marne who 
purchased immortality and saved the world. 

Gatherings of veterans of the Civil War have a 
pathetic side and as we have looked upon the gray 
heads and bent forms of the members of the Grand 
Army of the Republic, it brings back memories of 
the past. It has another and a beautiful side. It 
shows the enduring sense of comradeship born of 
common acts of heroism and devotion to a great 
cause. 

15 



The Civil War was fought and won by young men 
and every soldier's monument throughout this 
broad land in eloquent silence teaches the lesson of 
a citizen's duty to his country. The men of the 
Grand Army of the Republic cherish a great memory 
which has a value unmeasured by the standards 
of material things. As they look back through the 
vista of the years to the days when they gave out 
of their young lives years of service to make this 
country truly free. 

The men of the Grand Army freed a nation. 
To the young men of this generation was given the 
larger task of freeing a world, for that is what this 
war meant. The size of the job appealed to the 
imagination of youth. 

Answering the call of President Wilson, fathers, 
sons and brothers were formed in the ranks to fight 
freedom's battle for us and for countless millions 
yet unborn, for the stake in the great conflict was 
freedom and the humanity of civilization; and as 
they went, the Stars and Stripes, with a glorious 
record of achievement, floated over them and, 
having God's blessing on it, it had never known 
defeat and our prayers were answered that it should 
not know defeat then. 

The war is ended; the old world as we have known 
it has passed away and we are to have a wonder- 
fully different world. 

The leaders of that new world will come from the 
ranks of the boys who are leaders now, and who, in 
the hour of the world's crisis, responded by saying, 
"Here am I. Send me," and who now have the great 
privilege to qualify for membership in the Grand 
Army of the Republics of the world. 



16 



In Flanders Fields 

Wiitten by Lieut.-Colonel Dr. John McCrae cf Montreal, 
Canada, during the second battle of Ypres. The 
author's body lies buried in Flanders Fields. 

1 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 
Between the crosses, row on row, 
That mark our place; and in the sky 
The larks still bravely singing fly, 
Scarce heard amidst the guns below. 

2 
We are the dead, short days ago, 
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 
Loved and were loved, and now we lie 
In Flanders fields. 

3 
Take up our quarrel with the foe, 
To you from falling hands we throw 
The torch, be yours to hold it high; 
If ye break faith with us who die, 
We shall not sleep, though poppies grew 
In Flanders fields. 



Courtesy of G. P. Putnam's Sons, 
Publishers, New York and London 



In Flanders Now 

(By an unknown author) 
An answer to "In Flanders Fields' 



1 
We have kept faith, ye Flanders dead, 
Sleep well beneath those poppies red, 

That mark your place. 
The torch your dying hands did throw, 
We've held it high before the foe, 
And answered bitter blow for blow, 

In Flanders fields. 

2 
And where your heroes' blood was spilled. 
The guns are now forever stilled, 

And silent grown. 
There is no moaning of the slain, 
There is no cry of tortured pain, 
And blood will never flow again 

In Flanders fields. 

3 
Forever holy in our sight 
Shall be those crosses gleaming white, 

That guard your sleep. 
Rest you in peace, the task is done, 
The fight you left us we have won, 
And "Peace on Earth" has just begun 

In Flanders now. 



18 



Roll of Honor 

Men Connected with the 

United States Envelope Company 

who Responded to their Country's Call 

Brigham, Dwight Stillman, Lieut. Col. 
Buckley, James W M Lieut. 
Hayes, Raymond Noble, First Sergt. 
Logan, Donald Brigham, Capt. 

UNITED STATES ENVELOPE COMPANY 

CENTRAL OFFICE 

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 

Hein, Willard Elmer, Pri. 
Pierce, Theron E., Lieut= 
Thyberg, Hilding S., Pri. 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Alex, Paul P., Pri. 
Blackwood, Elmer H., Pri. 
Boyce, John A., Pri. 
Brigham.ArthurE., First Lieut. 
Bonney, Ulysses H., Lieut. 
Brennan, James, Pri. 
Buffum, Clarence Eugene, Pri. 
Charbonneau, Joseph A., Pri. 
Chamberlain, Paul R., Pri. 
Cocker, Allison Milton, Pri. 
Cobill, Harry, Pri. 
Camwell, James H., Pri. 
Cullen, Thomas, Pri. 
Coe, Jenry Sumner, Pri. 
Eddy, William, Pri. 
Fish, Leslie C, Marine 
Freeland, Elmer M., Marine 
Freeburg, Andrew F., Pri. 
Gordon, Harry W., Pri. 
Heywood,VincentE,FirstLieut 



Hoaglund, Ralph D.,Radio El. 
Haywood, James B., Pri. 
Hubbard, George, Pri. 
Hornell, Henry G., Seaman 
Heath, Raymond B., Ensign 
Hull, Raymond D., Pri. 
Joudrey, Asaph E., Pri. 
Knight, Harry L., Seaman 
Kimball, Henry J., Seaman 
Malone, John F., Mate 
Smith, Arthur G., Lance Corp. 
Swafrnberg, Oke Andrew, Pri. 
Sherman, William Atwocd, Jr., 

Seaman 
Shepherd, Harry, Pri. 
Sird, Ira C, Pri. 
Veinot, Naaman D., Pri. 
Wheeler, Charles S., Pri. 
Wentworth, Chester N., Pri. 
Wilkie, Dawson E., Pri. 



19 



UNITED STATES ENVELOPE CO. 
HOLYOKE, MASS. 



Cary, James Raymond, Serg. 
Couture, Napoleon, Pri. 
Ducharme, Horace, Pri. 
Foster, Frank, Pri. 
Frank, Arthur W.. Pri. 
Krall, Walter. Pri. 



Peterson, Arthur F., Pri. 
Schoenfeld, Charles R., Pri. 
Sears, Philip, Serg. 
Sheehan, Henry C., Seaman 
Snow, Clifton A., Corp. 
Wilhelm, Robert C, Pri. 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 



Ahem, Howard G., Pri. 
Athanacelous, Alkiviatis, Sea. 
Chapman, Lewis H., Pri. 
Glaser, Paul, Pri. 
Herig, Edward, Pri. 
Held, Ottmar. Seaman 
Holtsizer, John C, Pri. 



Laubscher, Martin P., Serg. 
Laubscher, Louis K., Pri. 
Liebe, William, Pri. 
Poehnert, William, Pri. 
Rueger, Raymond C, Pri. 
Trezoglon, Peter D., Pri. 
Welles, Guy B. : Pri. 



PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. DIV. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 



Brinton, Whilliard A., Pri. 
Hoffman, Elliott W., Pri. 
LeRoy, William Bias, Serg. 
Lehman, I. David, Pri. 
Lovell, Henry J., Pri. 



Maradie, Vincent, Pri. 
Nolan, Edmund C, Pri. 
O'Brien, George L., Q.M.Serg. 
Sautner, John W., Yeoman 
Stewart, John Alexander, Pri. 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Blackmer, William L., Seaman 
Child, Hervey W., Pri. 
Casey, Maurice P., Pri. 
Davis, Stanley T., Pri. 
Devine, Francis J., Pri. 
Geraghty, Charles M., Pri. 
Hopler, William H., Pri. 
Menard, Joseph N., Pri. 
Miller, Irving G., Pri. 



Mize, Clarence Butler, Sergt. 
Muir, William George, Pri. 
Olson, Emil A., Supply Sergt. 
Robar, Arnold L., Mess Sergt. 
Robinett, Joseph F., Sergt. 
Shapro, Max, Pri. 
Swaine, H. S., Pri. 
Vincent, Terrence A., Pri. 
Weiman, Geo. N., Sergt. Maj. 



20 



NATIONAL ENV. CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN. ILL. 



Anderson, Irwin Ralph, Pri. 
Bower, J. Vernon, Pri. 
Butler, Harry, Pri. 
Connell, John D., 2nd Lieut. 
Dockery, Lawrence H., Pri. 
Dunn, Clark A., Pri. 
Erb, Clarence, Corpl. 
Fawley, Harry D., Ensign 
Franke, William, Pri. 
Fredbeck, Maurice, Pri. 
Hibbard, Ray, Pri. 
Hillman,Harvey F.,2nd Lieut. 
Lamson, L. P., Sergt. 
Larson, Robert C, Corpl. 
Lock, Lewis, Seaman 
Manley, Orrie, Seaman 



McDonald, John, Sergt. 
Nitsche, Richard R., Sergt. 
Palm, Oscar, Coxswain 
Palm, Walter E., Coxswain 
Palm, Wm. E., Pri. 
Rankin, Victor E., Pri. 
Roos, Charles T., Lieut. 
Sackman.Lester Frederick,Pri. 
Swanson, Berthal C, Pri. 
Thommessen, Stratford, Pri. 
Tompkins, Milo, Pri. 
Urban, Stanley, Pri. 
Wargelin, William, Corpl. 
Warner, Harry, Corpl. 
Wilson, Barney, Seaman 



P. P. KELLOGG & CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Bidard, Eugene J., Seargt. 
Cosby, Edward William, Pri. 
Fischer, Edmund Francis, Pri. 



Marchand, Alcide. Joseph, Pri. 
Streeter, Edwin W., Asst.Surg. 



WHITCOMB ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Allen, Paul E., Corpl. 
Guerin, Henry G., Pri. 
Hornibrook.Edmund L., Corp. 
Langevin, Joseph S., Pri. 



Mill, William Malcolm, 

Supply Sergt. 
Shea, James J., Lieut. 
Sweeney, Thomas J., Pri. 
Wyman, Harold, Pri. 



W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Bowker, Charles Grant, Capt. 
Batty, Robert E., Sergt. 
Beals, Harry, Quartermaster 
Fenton, William Graham, Pri. 
Hedlund, Albin, Lieut. 



Hendricks, Louis W., Pri. 
Kelly, A. E. Seaman 
Mayo, George Edward, Corp. 
Morse, Howard C, Pri. 
Swallow, Francis P., Corp. 



PACIFIC COAST ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 

Cate, Roland, Pri. 

Keeney, Independence Nugget, Pri. 

Little, John, Corp. 

CENTRAL STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 

Allan, Harry Roll, Seaman Lockhart, Harry Marcus, Pri. 

Burris, Frank Wayland, Pri. Mater, Loyal Dixon, Pri. 

Ehlers, Ernest Randolph, Rice, Clell Thompson, Corp. 

Seaman Secrest, Russell Adams, Sergt. 

Einspanier, Robert J., Pri. Swallow.SidneyThaxter.Lieut. 

Frey, Glen Edward, Pri. Walker.George Ralph, Seaman 
Jones, Bernard, Pri. 



22 




Lieut. Col. DwightJStillman Brigham 

Assistant to Gen. Supt. Boston & Albany R. R. 

Son of the late John S. Brigham of the 

Logan, Swift & Brigham Envelope Co. Div., Worcester, Mass. 

Born, Worcester, Mass., Aug. 24, 1886 

Harvard University, 1908 
American Expeditionary Forces, France 
July 10, 1917 — Commissioned Major. Engineers, U/S. R. 
July 25, 1917 — Ordered to active duty and assigned to 
command 2nd Battalion, 14th Engineers. 
August 18, 1917 — Arrived on British frcnt September to 
November, 1 91 7. Attached to British Director of Light Railways. 
December, 1917, to September, 1918 — Superintendent of 
Transportation, Department of Light Railways, American 
Expeditionary Forces. 

Sept. 10, 1918 — Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Engi- 
neers, U. S. A. 

October, 1918, to March 1919 — Attached to General 
Staff, A. E. F., as Regulating Officer at Liffol-le-Grand, France. 
Discharged April 22, 1919 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Before he became an aviator 
He was some golfer 





Lieut. James W. Buckley 

Bom, Worcester, Mass. 

June 24, 1896 

Son of Louis H. Buckley, 

Ass't Gen. Mgr. 

United States Envelope Co. 

Dartmouth, 1919 

Harvard University 

Training Camp, 1917 

School of Military Aeronautics 

Cornell University, 

Ithaca, N. Y. 

Camp Dix, Dallas, Texas 

Now with 
Logan, Swift & Brigham 




1st Sergt. Raymond Noble Hayes 



Son of Noble 0. Hayes 

Ass't Mgr. Logan, Swift & Brigham Env. Cc. Div. 

Worcester, Mass. 

Bom, Holyoke, Mass. 
Aug. 26, 1895 

Quartermaster's Department, Fort Slocum, N. Y. 




Captain Donald Brigham Logan 

Treas. Taylor -Logan Co., Papermakers 
(Son of the "G. M.") 

Born, Worcester, Mass., Nov. 8, 1881 

Dartmouth, 1904 

First Plattsburg Training Camp, 1915 

2nd Lieut. Co. D. 2nd Mass. Infy., Dec. 20, 1915 

" Mexican Border, June to Nov., 1916 

Oct., 1917, Second Lieut. 104th U. S. Infantry, 26th Div. 

g Jan. .1918, First Lieut. 104th U. S. Infy. 

Feb., 1919, Capt. U.S. Infantry, 

Secret Code Dept. General Headquarters, A. E. F. 

Chaumcnt, France 

Discharged April 9, 1919 

Now with Logan Drinking Cup Div. 

26 




GENERAL OFFICE 
UNITED STATES ENVELOPE COMPANY 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 

• Lieut. Theron E. Pierce 
Bom, Middlebury, Vt. 

Sept. 27, 1891 

Enlisted Dec. 13, 1917 

Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps 

Ordered to duty as Cadet at 
U. S. School of Military 
Aeronautics, Ohio State Uni- 
versity, Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 
12, 1918. Graduated Mar. 
9, 1918. 

Commissioned Mar. 13, 1918, 
2nd Lieutenant in the Signal 
Reserve Corps, Aviation 
Section, and assigned to duty 
at Taliaferro Field. 



Private Hilding S. Thyberg 

Born, Springfield, Mass. 
June 18, 1896 

Bureau of Air Craft Production 
Washington, D. C. 

Master Signal Electrician 



Private Willard Elmer Hein 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
Jan. 8, 1897 

Medical Corps, 104th U. S. Infantry 
American Exp. Forces, France 





LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Private Paul P. Alex 

Born, Wilna, Russia 
Feb. 15, 1893 

Co. C, 2ndIRegiment, Mass. N. G. 

2nd Co., 301st Regt. 
U. S. Field Artillery 



Private Elmer H. Blackwood 

Born, West Boylston, Mass. 
Mar. 17, 1892 

12th Div., 23rd Brigade, Co. 35 
Machine Gun Branch 




28 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Before the days of war 



Private John A. Boyce 

Bom, Worcester, Mass. 
May 15, 1893 

Medical Training Camp, Co. L 
Fort Ethan Allen, Vt. 

Am. Exp. Forces, France 
55th Coast Artillery 

















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|. 'Jjfc 


■:;., ; 




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-- 


r - ' 




'#1 






: 








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i 


^^^_ 


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29 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




First Lieut. Arthur E. Brigham 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Oct. 20, 1887 

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1910 

Ordnance Department 
American Expeditionary Forces, France 



30 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Lieut. Ulysses H. Bonney 

Born, Crompton, R. I. 
July 17, 1886 

Aviation Section 

Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps 

41st Balloon Co. 

Camp John Wise, Texas 



Private James Brennan 

38th'Battery, Canadian Field Artillery 
Canadian Exp. Forces, France 





Private Clarence Eugene Buffum 

Born, Melrose, Mass. 
Oct. 8, 1891 

Co. C, 42nd Regiment, Infantry 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




*»r 






Private Paul R. Chamberlain 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 

Apr. 4, 1894 

Aviation Section Signal Corps 

65th Aero Squadron 

San Antonio, Texas 

Transferred to 

84th Aero School Squadron 

Flying Cadet 

S. M. A. University of Texas 

Austin, Texas 



Priv. Joseph A. Charbonneau 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Dec. 11, 1897 

Co. H., 104th U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 2nd Mass., N. G.) 

52nd Brigade, 26th Division 
American Exp. Forces 




32 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



i*£ 


^^B^ 




'•&?*■■ 






'si 


3- 




i 1 1 




mm 


1 i 




a ft 
i ft 






mmmt 



Private Harry Cobill 

Born, Birmingham, England 
July 1, 1891 

No. 201437, Railroad Troops, 
E. T. D. 

St. John's, Quebec, Canada 



Private Allison Milton Cocker 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Aug. 13, 1899 

40th Company 
U. S. Marine Corps 




33 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER,[MASS. 



Private James^H. Camwell 

Born, Rochdale, Mass. 
Oct. 30, 1896 

40th Co. Depot Brigade 
Infantry 




Private Thomas Cullen 

Born, Lowell, Mass. 
Nov. 20, 1887 

Co. M.28th Infantry, 1st Div. 

Sailed overseas July 25, 1918 

Gassed October 4. at Argonne 

Discharged Sept. 9, 1919 



34 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Private Henry Sumner Coe 

Born, Dec. 23, 1893 

Dept. Truck Driver, Aviation Corps 





Private William Eddy 

Born, Carlisle, England 
July 17, 1880 

Co. A, 1st Depot Battalion 
C. 0. R. 

Toronto, Canada 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Marine Leslie C. Fish 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
June 21, 1897 

Merchant Marine, U. S. S. Meade 




Marine Elmer M. Freeland 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Aug. 10, 1893 

Merchant Marine, Training Ship Meade 
36 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Private 1st Class 
Harry W. Gordon 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Sept. 3, 1896 

Hdqrs. Co. 42nd Brigade 

Camp Eustis, Va. 
Discharged Dec. 23, 1919 



Private Andrew F. Freeburg 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Nov. 15, 1888 

Detention Battalion No. 1 5 

13th Co. 

Camp Greenleaf 

Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. 

American Expeditionary 

Forces, France 
Camp Hospital No. 20 











•■ jjtt 






« 


1 -'' 


§s 














Y&9j/f!rjf' " S 


111 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 





First Lieut. Vincent E. Heywood 

Born, Springfield, Mass. 
Jan. 20, 1889 

S. S. Unit No. 17 
American Ambulance Corps 

Transferred to the 

American Aviation Service 

American Exp. Forces, France 



38 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Private James B. Haywood 

Bom, Lowell, Mass. 
Aug. 18, 1890 

42nd Infantry 
Co. C, 12th Div. 



Radio Electrician 
Ralph D. Hoaglund 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
July 26, 1896 

U. S. Naval Reserve 

Radio Electrician 

2nd Class 

Newport, R. I. 




39 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Private George Hubbard 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Nov. 4, 1896 

Signal Corps, Aviation Section 
Fort Sam Houston 
San Antonio, Texas 

American Exp. Forces, France 



Seaman Henry G. Hornell 

Born, West Springfield, Mass. 
Sept. 12, 1895 

Apprentice Seaman, U. S. Navy 
Signal School, Norfolk, Va. 





Ensign Raymond B. Heath 

Born, Mystic, Conn. 
Sept. 9, 1896 

Seaman, 2nd Class, Naval Unit 
Ensign U. S. S. Transport Radnor 



40 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Private Raymond D. Hull 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Mar. 6, 1897 

Battery B, 1 st Regiment, F. A. R. D. 
Camp Jackson, South Carolina 





Private Asaph E. Joudrey 

Born, Nova Scotia 
Aug. 30, 1892 

Co. L, 303rd Regiment 
Infantry 

American Exp. Forces, France 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 







Seaman Harry L. Knight 

Born, Worcester, Mass., Nov. 25, 1899 

Enlisted Dec. 3, 1917, at Boston, Mass. 

Transferred to the U. S. S. Maumee, an oil tanker, duty 
oiling Destroyers in the submarine zone, off coast of Ireland. 

Transferred to U. S. S. Herman Frasch. This vessel was 
sunk in collision off coast of Nova Scotia the night of Oct. 4, 1 91 8. 
Was picked up by the Tank ship George G. Henery after being 
in the water one and one-half hours without a life-belt, with 
left side and leg crushed. Sent to U. S. Army base hospital at 
Ellis Island, New York. 

Jan. 8, 1919, attached to U. S. S. Flamingo, minesweeper 
No. 32. Sailed May 18, 1919, for minesweeping duty in the 
North Sea aboard the U. S. S. Flamingo. Completed mine- 
sweeping and returned to the United States Nov. 18, 1919. 

Discharged as Yeoman 1st class, Dec. 6, 1919. 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Seaman Henry J. Kimball 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Apr. 13, 1899 

Seaman, 2nd class, Naval Unit 



43 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Mate John F. Malone 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
May 8, 1895 

Machinist's Mate, Naval Reserve 
Norfolk, Va. 



Lance Corporal 
Arthur G. Smith, Jr. 

Born, Holden, Mass. 
Aug. 4, 1894 

Co. G, 101st U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 9th Mass., N. G.) 

American Exp. Forces, France 

Wounded Chemin-de-Dames 

Feb. 27, 1918 

Gassed Montfucon 

Oct. 25, 1918 




LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Private Oke Andrew Swahnberg 

Born, Sweden 
Apr. 26, 1892 

Co. G, 42nd Infantry 
Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. 





Seaman 
William Atwocd Sherman, Jr 

Born, Fitchburg, Mass. 
Jan. 12, 1900 

Seaman, U. S. S. Culgoa 



45 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER1MASS. 

Private Harry Shepherd 

Bern, Heywocd, Lancashire 

England 

Dec. 22, 1895 

Co. H, 104th U. S. Infantry 

(Formerly 2nd Mass. National 

Guard) 

52nd Brigade, 26th Division 

American Exp. Forces, France 

Wounded in action 
Mar. 15, 1918 

Wounded in action 
July 18, 1918 




Private Ira C. Sird 

Born, Salisbury, Vermont 
Dec. 4, 1892 

Co. F, 18th Cavalry 




LOGAN.-SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Private Naaman D. Veinot 

Bom, Hemford, N. S. 
Oct. 29, 1892 

9th Siege Battery 
Canadian Heavy Artillery 

Canadian Exp. Forces, France 

Gassed about Oct. 1, 1918 





Private^Charles S. Wheeler 

Born, Roxbury, Mass. 
July 25, 1895 

Co. B, 102nd U. S. Field 
Artillery, Mechanic 

American Exp. Forces, France 



47 



LOGAN, SWIFT & BRIGHAM ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Private 
Chester Nelson Wentworth 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
March 22, 1901 

Hospital Staff, 23rd Regiment 

Walter Reed Hospital 

Tacoma Park 

Washington, D. C. 



Private Dawson E. Wilkie 

Born, Lunenburg Co. N. S. 
May 19, 1891 

Co. D, First Battalion 

Infantry 
New Brunswick, N. S. 

Canadian Exp. Forces, France 




48 



UNITED STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
HOLYOKE, MASS. 




Sergt. James Raymond Cary 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 

Aug. 31, 1890 

Q. M. Sergeant 

9th Co., 152nd Regiment 

Camp Upton, Long Island 



Private Napoleon Couture 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
Feb. 9, 1895 

Enlisted Dec. 9, 1917 

60th Squadron, Aviation Camp 

Waco, Texas 

Discharged JuneJ3d, 1919 





Private Horace Ducharme 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
March 19, 1894 

18th Infantry, 5th Depot Brigade 

Camp Devens, Mass. 

Discharged Jan. 21, 1919 



49 



UNITED STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
HOLYOKE, MASS. 




Private Frank Foster 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Nov. 28, 1886 

Called Sept. 11,1918 

Infantry at Camp Devens 

Died at Camp in Syracuse, N. Y. 

Oct. 22, 1918 



Private Arthur W. Frank 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
March 18, 1897 

Enlisted Sept. 19, 1918 

Mechanical Service 

University of Vermont 

Discharged Dec. 12, 1918 




UNITED STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
HOLYOKE, MASS. 



Private Walter Krall 

Born, Heilbronn, Wurtemburg 

Germany 

April 8, 1894 

Called Aug. 31, 1918 

Medical Corps, Base Hospital 
Camp Devens, Mass. 

Discharged May 31, 1919 





Private Arthur F. Peterson 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Aug. 22, 1897 

Inducted Oct. 10, 1918 

Y. M. C. A. Training College 
Springfield, Mass. 

Discharged Dec. 10, 1918 



Private Charles R. Schoenfeld 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
July 30, 1894 

Called Aug. 6,11918 

Infantry at Camp Devens 

Discharged June 31, 1919 




UNITED STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
HOLYOKE, MASS. 



Sergeant Philip Seais 




Born, Hclyoke, Mass. 
Sept. 2, 1896 

Enlisted Apr. 23, 1918 

Signal Corps, Co. F, 8th Depot Brigade 
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 

Overseas Aug. 22, 1918 

Discharged July 21, 1919 



Seaman Henry C. Sheehan 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
Apr. 17, 1897 

Enlisted July 25, 1918 

U. S. Navy Seaman 

Released Oct. 6, 1919 





Private Robert C. Wilhelm 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
June 26, 1897 

Enlisted Sept. 19, 1918 

Mechanical Service 
University of Vermont 

Discharged Dec. 9, 1918 



52 



UNITED STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
HOLYOKE, MASS. 




Corp. Clifton A. Snow 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
Dec. 28, 1886 



Co. L, 106th U. S. Infantry, A. E. F. 
53rd Brigade, 27th Division 
(Formerly 23rd N. Y. N. G.) 

Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C. 

Discharged April, 1919 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 




Private Howard G. Ahern 

Born, Rockville, Conn. 
June 4, 1899 

Sanitary Department, 104th U. S. Infantry 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 




Private Lewis H. Chapman 

Born, Rockville, Conn. 
July 24, 1896 

Detached Infantry, 2nd Co. 

Clerical Service 

Fort Slocum, N. Y. 



Seaman 
Alkiviatis Athanacelous 

Born near Athens, Greece 
April 10, 1892 

U. S. Coast Guard 
New London, Conn. 




55 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 




Private Edward Herig 

Born, Rockville, Conn. 
July 7, 1899 

Troop I, Cavalry 
Fort Mackintosh, Texas 



Private Paul Glaser 

Born, New York City 
June 4, 1893 

D Company, 29th Division 
112th Machine Gun Battalicn 

American Expeditionary Forces 




WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 




Private John C. Holtsizer 

Born, Ellington, Conn. 
Sept. 25, 1889 

28th Ambulance Company 
4th Division, Medical Corps 

American Exp. Fcrces, France 



Seaman Ottmar Held 

Born, Rockville, Conn. 
Apr. 5, 1897 

Naval Reserve 
New Haven, Conn. 




57 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 




Sergeant Martin P. Laubscher 

Born, Rcckville, Conn. 
July 25, 1887 

Quartermaster's Corps, U.S.A. 
Washington, D. C. 



Private Louis K. Laubscher 

Born, Rockville, Conn. 
Apr. 4, 1889 

Company Clerk, Supply Co. 
74th Infantry 

Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. 




58 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 



Private William Liebe 

Born, Rockville.. Conn. 
July 4, 1891 

Medical Detachment 

Base Hospital 

Camp Upton, L. I., New York 





Private William Poehnert 

Born, Rockville, Conn. 
Aug. 5, 1888 

Field Artillery, 33rd Regiment 

Battery B 

Camp Meade, Md. 



59 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 




Piivate Peter D. Trezcglon 

Bern, Eresscs.Mitylen, Greece 
Nov. 15, 1887 

23rd Ccmpany, 6th Battalion, 

152nd Depot Brigade 
Camp Upton, Yaphank, N. Y. 

American Exp. Forces, France 



Private Raymond C. Rueger 

Bom, Rockville, Conn. 
March 12, 1895 

Headquarters Company 

Machine Gun School 

Camp Benning, Columbus,Ga. 



/$\ 




60 



WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 
ROCKVILLE, CONN. 




Private Guy B. Welles 

Born, Glastonbury, Conn. 
Oct. 16, 1892 

104th Engineer Corps, 29th Division 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



PLIMPTON MFG. CO. DIV. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 




Private Whilliard A. Brinton 

Born, Elmhurst, N. Y. 
Sept. 10, 1892 

Co. D, 106th Machine Gun Battalion 




Private Elliott W. Hoffman 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Sept. 27, 1898 

Gun Sighter 
U. S. S. Wenoivah 



II 



62 



PLIMPTON MFG. CO. DIV. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 




Sergt. William Bias LeRoy 

Born, Hartford, Conn. 
July 25, 1895 

Co. K., 102nd U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 1st Conn. N. G.) 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



PLIMPTON MFG. CO. DIV. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 




Private I. David Lehman 

Born, Lemburg, Austria 
Oct. 8, 1888 

306th Infantry, 77th Division 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 

Wounded Vesle Sector, Aug. 25, 1918 




64 



PLIMPTON MFG. CO. DIV. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 



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Private Henry J. Lovell 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
Dec. 15, 1895 

356th Machine Gun Co., 89th Division 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



65 



PLIMPTON MFG. CO. DIV. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 




Private Vincent Maradie 

Born, Mormano, Italy 
Nov. 12, 1895 

29th Division, Field Artillery 

American Exp. Forces 



Private Edmund C. Nolan 

Born, New York City 
June 6, 1891 

Co. E, 71st Infantry, 11th Division 

American Exp. Forces 





Q. M. Sergt. George L. O'Brien 

Born, Haydenville, Mass. 
Feb. 9, 1893 

Quartermaster's Corps 



PLIMPTON MFG. CO. DIV. 
HARTFORD, CONN. 



Yeoman John W. Sautner 

Born, Newark, N. J. 
Oct. 15, 1893 

U. S. S. Seattle 





Private John Alexander Stewart 

Born, London, England 
Jan. 15, 1891 

Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders 
British Army 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 




Seaman Wm. L. Blackmer 

Born, Ludlow, Mass. 
Sept. 4, 1899 

U. S. Navy, Apprentice Seaman, 
then 2nd CI. Gunner's Mate 



Private Maurice P. Casey 

Born, Adams, Mass. 
Sept. 4, 1895 

Co. A, 345th Infantry 

American Expeditionary Forces, 

France 




68 



MORGAN STATIONERY CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 




Private Hervey W. Child 

Bom, Lyndonville, Vt. 
Sept. 14, 1899 

Medical Dept. U. S. A., Fort Slocum, N. Y. 

Camp Surgeon's Office, Camp Merritt, N. J. 



69 



MORGAN STATIONERY CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Private Stanley T. Davis 

Born, Chicopee Falls, Mass. 
June 7, 1899 

Called Nov. 1, 1918 

Recalled Nov. 12, 1918 
before Mr. Davis had been ordered to report 




Private Francis J. Devine 

Born, Springfield, Mass. 
Dec. 14, 1898 

Called August, 1918 

Assigned to Fort Rodman, 

New Bedford, Mass. 

Discharged Dec. 19, 1918 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 

(Chicago Office) 





Private Charles M. Geraghty 

Born, Springfield, Mass. 
Jan. 24, 1890 

1st Army Air Service 

Enlisted Dec, 1917, Jefferson Barracks, Mo. 

Sailed for France in July. Transferred to Squadron No. 337 
November 10th. Outbound for front line. Order changed 
because of armistice. 

Discharged at Camp Grant, Dec. 28, 1918. 
71 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
U ISPRINGFIELDJMASS. 




Private William' H.[Hepler 

Born, Springfield, Mass. 
July 18, 1887 

First Assignment 

Aviation Section Signal Corps 

Waco, Texas 

Later assigned to 500 Aero Squadron 

American Expeditionary Forces 



Private Jos. N. Menard 

Born, Penacook, N. H. 
May 28, 1893 

Quartermaster's Corps 
Camp Devens 




72 



MORGAN STATIONERY CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 




Private Irving G. Miller 

Born, Meriden, Conn. 
May 11, 1890 

Called March 29, 1918. Assigned to 77th Division, Battery A, 
306th Field Artillery. Sailed April 24, 1918, to Brest, France, 
Was in Baccarat Sector July 15th to August 1st, 1918. Vesle 
Sector August 11th to August 18th, 1918. Oise Aisne August 
18th to September 16th, 1918. Meuse Argonne September 
26th to November 11th, 1918. 

Returned to the United States April 29th, 1919. 

Discharged at Camp Devens, Mass., May 10, 1919. 
American Expeditionary Forces, France 

73 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 




Sergt. Clarence Butler Mize 

Born, Lamed, Kansas 
Apr. 2, 1887 

Co. A, 304th U. S. Infantry, then 

Watertown Arsenal, Engineering Detachment 

Enlisted Ord. Corps, Nat'l Army 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 

Tissue Department 




Private William George Muir 

Born, Springfield, Mass. 
Dec. 19, 1894 

Naval Reserve, Pelham Bay. N. Y. 



MORGAN STATIONERY CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Supply Sergt. Emil A. Olson 

Born, New York City 
March 18, 1893 

Co. G, 104th U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 2nd Mass. N. G.) 

American Expeditionary Forces 
France 

Enlisted June 21, 1916, for Mexican Border service. Mustered 
out into Reserve Nov. 1, 1916. Called to active service March 
25, 1917. Sailed October 2, 1917, to Havre, France. Went into 
action February 2, 1918. Remained in action until July 18, 1918, 
on which day he was wounded at Chateau-Thiery. 

Returned to the United States April 11, 1919. Discharged 
at Camp Devens, Mass., May 7, 1919. 




75 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 











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Mess Seret. Arnold L. Robar 

Born, North Adams, Mass. 
Dec. 17, 1894 

Co. K, 104th U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 2nd Mass. N. G.) 

52nd Brigade, 26th Dhisicn 
Assigned to 1st Co., 101st Supply Train 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



76 



MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 

Chicago Office 




Sergt. Joseph F. Robinett, A. S. C. 

Born, Chicago, Illinois 
Mar. 6, 1897 

Entered United States Army, Aug. I, 1918 

Sailed fcr overseas with 28th Battery, F. A. R. D., in October. 

In France was transferred to the 2nd Regiment, F. A. R. D. 
end was sent to the old Russian camp at Le Corneau. 

Was assigned to duty in the auditing and Purchasing Dept. 
of the American Commission to negotiate peace at Hotel Crillon 
the early part of .December. 

Discharged at Camp Grant, Sept. 3, 1919 



77 



MORGAN STATIONERY CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 




Private Max Shapro 

Born in Russia, February 21, 1895 

Called June 24, 1918. Went to Camp Devens.. Mass., and 
was assigned to Headquarters 34th Machine Gun Battalion. 
Discharged from service January 28, 1919. 



78 




MORGAN ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Private^H. C.^Swaine 

Born, North East Harbor, 
Nova Scotia 
Mar. 12, 1890 

Draughtsman 
Ordnance Dept., Washington, D. C. 



Sergt. Major George N. Weiman 

Born, Hoboken, N. J. 
July 11, 1893 

First Assignment, Line 66, Trade Div. 

First Training Brigade, Kelly Field 

South San Antonio, Texas 

Later appointed Sergeant Major 

100 Aero Squadron 
American Expeditionary Forces 




MORGAN STATIONERY CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Private Terrence A. Vincent 

Born, Springfield, Mass. 
Oct. 2, 1893 

Called October 10, 1918, and assigned 

to Camp Devens, Mass. 40th Co. 

10th Battalion, Depot Brigade 

Discharged December 5, 1918 




79 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 




Private Irwin Ralph Anderson 

Born, Chicago, Illinois 
Aug. 26, 1898 

Student Army Training Corps 

University of Wisconsin 

Madison, Wis. 



Private J. Vernon Bower 

Born, Mason City, Iowa 
Dec. 23, 1899 

Gunner's Mate 
(J. S. S. Kansas 




80 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Private Harry Butler 

Princeton, Ky. 
Dec. 26, 1900 

Sapper, 47th Battalion, Engineers 
4th Division, Canadian Army 

Wounded by shrapnel in June, 1918, 
during fighting near Ypres, Belgium. 
After being in Hospital two months, 
recovered and rejoined his Regiment. 

Canadian Expeditionary Forces 





2nd Lieut. John D. Connell 

Born, Lake Forest, 111. 
Dec. 1, 1897 

Air Service Aeronautics, U. S. Army 
Love Field, Dallas, Texas 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Seaman Lawrence H. Dockery 

Born, Racine, Wisconsin 
April 10, 1900 

Apprentice Seaman, U. S. Navy 

United States^Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, 111. 




Private Clark A.^Dunn 

Born, Rio, Illinois 
Nov. 24, 1895 

Co. E, 1st Replacement Engineers 
American Exp. Forces, France 



82 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE^*). DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



JH: 




Corpl. Clarence Erb 

Born, Waukegan, 111., Nov. 16, 1887 

Co. I, 130th Infantry, 33rd Division 

Wounded on October 10, 1918, in the Argonne Woods while 
administering First Aid to a Member of Co. K of his Regiment. 
He fell during the progress of the Battle on the right bank of 
the Meuse. Removed to a Hospital near the village of Confeneye, 
France, where he died on November 1st, 1918. 

Prior to being wounded, Mr. Erb had been recommended for 
training at an Officers Training School in France. 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 




Ensign Harry D. Fawley 

Born, Grafton, West Virginia 
Novl23, 1893 

Ensign (D)}U S. Naval Reserve 

U. S. S. Wolverine and 

Officers Material School 

Pelham Bay, N. Y. 



Private William Franke 

Born, Waukegan, 111. 
June 3, 1897 

Storekeeper 2nd Class, Supply Dept. 

U. S. Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, 111. 





Private Maurice Fredbeck 

Born, Waukegan, 111. 
Sept. 14, 1896 

3rd Class Storekeeper 
U. S. Naval Reserve 
U. S. Naval Training Station 
Great Lakes, 111. 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Private Ray Hibbard 



Bom, Chicago, III. 
Jan. 10, 1889 

U. S. Naval Reserve 

U. S. Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, III. 





2nd Lieut. Harvey F. Hillman 

Born, Pelham, N. H. 
April 27, 1891 

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1914 
Co. E, 342nd U. S. Infantry 

Served with 16th, 615th and 1 103rd 
Aero Squadrons in France and Italy. 

American Expeditionary Forces 



Sergt. L. P. Lamson 

Born, Libertyville, 111. 
Feb. 4, 1888 

Sergt. 130th Inf., 33rd Division 
While in France Lamson was 
assigned to Occupational Duty as 
Paper Cutter at a U. S. A. Printing 
Plant in Paris. He was selected for 
this duty when it was learned that 
he was a cutter, as noted in his 
Service Record. 

American Exp. Forces, France 
85 




NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Corp. Robert C. Larson 




Born, Port Washington, N. Y. 
July 12, 1896 

6th Battalion Trench Artillery 

American Exp. Forces, France 



Seaman Lewis Lock 

Born, New Jersey 
March 13, 1898 

Seaman First Class, U. S. Navy 
U. S. S. Prince Frederick Wilhelm 





Seaman Orrie Manley 

Born, Waukegan, 111. 
March 13, 1897 

Seaman Second Class 

U. S. Navy 

U. S. Submarine Base 

New London, Conn. 

and 
U. S. Submarine G-2 



86 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Sergt. John McDonald 

Born, Bolden, England 
Dec. 25, 1867 

Recruiting Depot 
Fort Thomas, Ky. 





Sergt. Richard R. Nitsche 

Born, Chicago, III. 
Oct. 18, 1893 

Senior Sergeant, Rents, Requisitions 

and Claims Co. 

Duty in England and France 

American Exp. Forces, France 



87 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 




Walter E. Palm 

Born, Waukegan, 111. 
Dec. 5, 1896 

Coxswain, U. S. Navy 
Receiving Ship 

Philadelphia, Pa., and 
U. S. S. Dixie 



Oscar Palm 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
July 4, 1891 

Coxswain, U. S. Navy 

U. S. Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, 111. 




88 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



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gagamMMi 


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Corpl. Wm. E. Palm 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Feb. 17, 1889 

Co. H, 110th Infantry, 28th Div. 

Palm was wounded during the. Meuse-Argonne Battle near 
Varennes on Sept. 27, 1918, and was removed to a Hospital 
where he recovered in time to return with his Regiment. 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



89 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Private Victor Rankin 

Born, Fairport, Ohio 
Apr. 6, 1897 

Musician 

U. S. Navy 

U. S. Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, 111. 




Charles T. Rcos 
Lieut, (j. g.) Pay Corps, U. S. N. R. F. 

Born, Chicago, 111. 
May 23, 1893 

Headquarters Co. 

149th Field Artillery 

Camp Mills, Hempstead, N. Y. 

Transferred to U. S. Navy as 

Assistant Paymaster with rank of 

Ensign 

Performed duty in 

First Naval District and at 

Chicago, 111. 



90 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 




Private Lester Frederick Sackman 

Born, Waukegan, III. 
July 17, 1897 

Fireman First Class, U. S. N. R. F. 

U. S. Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, 111. 



Private Berthal C. Swanson 

Born, Chicago, 111. 
April 21, 1896 

2nd Class Machinist's Mate (Aviation) 

U. S. N. R. F. 

U. S. Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, 111. 





Private Stratford Thommessen 

Born, Chicago, 111. 
Aug. 2, 1895 

Machinist's Mate, 2nd Class 

U. S. Navy 

On duty in France and Belgium with 

the Northern Bombing Group 



91 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Private Milo Tompkins 

Born, Chicago, III. 
Mar. 16, 1893 

U. S. Army 
Camp Grant 
Rockford, 111. 



Private Stanley Urban 

Born, Poland 
Apr. 20, 1892 

Machinist's Mate (Aviation) U. S. N. R. F. 



92 



NATIONAL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WAUKEGAN, ILL. 



Corp. William Wargelin 

Born, Champion, Mich. 
July 6, 1895 

Base Censure and Interpreter 

Detachment 

Camp Merritt, N. J. 





Corp. Harry Warner 

Born, Waukegan, 111. 
May 7, 1899 

Co. K, 40th Infantry Reg. 

14th Division 

Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio 



Seaman Barney Wilson 

Born, Waukegan, 111. 
June 7, 1901 

Seaman, U. S. Navy 

U. S. Naval Training Station 

Great Lakes, 111. 




93 



P. P. KELLOGG & CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 




Sergt. Eugene J. Bidard 

Born, Waterbury, Conn. 
May 13, 1898 

11th Cavalry Headquarters Company 

Medical Officers Training Camp 

Camp Greenleaf 

Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. 

Mustered in at Fort Slocum, N. Y. 

Discharged from Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Jan. 22, 1919 

94 



P. P. KELLOGG & CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 



Private Edward William Cosby 

Born, Westfield, Mass. 
Oct. 1, 1897 

Co. B, 104th U. S. Infantry 

American Exp. Forces, France 





Private Edmund Francis Fischer 

Born, San Antonio, Texas 
Aug. 14, 1896 

U. S. Naval Aviation 
U. S. Training Camp 

Discharged from Training Camp 
Dec. 28, 1918 



Private Alcide Joseph Marchand 

Born Holyoke, Mass. 
Nov. 1, 1895 

Fort Slocum 

Fort Ethan Allen 

Camp Jackson 

58th Field Artillery 

Discharged from Camp Devens 
Jan 31, 1919 

95 




P. P. KELLOGG & CO. DIV. 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 




Asst. Surgeon Edwin W. Streeter 

Born, Holyoke, Mass. 
Apr. 9, 1895 

Medical Department, 104th U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 2nd Mass. N. G.) 

Transferred to Fifth Sanitary Train 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 

Went to France Sept. 25, 1917. Stationed at Harriville, just 
west of Neuf Chateau, till Feb. 4, 1918. From there to Chemin- 
des-Dames front. Wounded on Chemin-des-Dames front in 
course of duty and sent^to Base Hospital 66, Neuf Chateau. 
Returned Apr. 9, 1919. Discharged from Camp Devens May 2, 
1919. 



96 



WHITCOMB ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Corp. Paul E. Allen 

Born, Hyde Park, Mass. 
Apr. 20, 1895 

Worcester Trade School, 1914 

Enlisted June 19, 1916 

Co. H, 104th Infantry 

Served at Mexican Border 

American Exp. Forces, France 
from October, 1917, to April, 1919 





Private Henry G. Guerin 

Born, Nov. 8, 1892 
Leicester, Mass. 

Served in Quartermaster Dept. 

Camp Upton, N. Y. 

From Sept. 30, 1918, to Apr. 4, 1919 



97 



WHITCOMB ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Corp. Edmund L. Hornibrook 

Born, Plymouth, England 
Apr. 16, 1892 

Enlisted June 4, 1917 
Co. C, 104th U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 2nd Mass. N. G.) 

52nd Brigade, 26th Division 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 
from Oct. 4, 1917, to Apr. 4, 1919 

Discharged at Camp Devens, Apr. 28, 1919 
98 



WHITCOMB ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Private Joseph S. Langevin 

Born, Feb. 16, 1898 
Spencer, Mass. 

Enlisted Dec. 8, 1917, 21st Co., C. A. C. s Fort Strong, Mass. 
Transferred to 18th Co., C. A. C, Mar. 28, 1918. Transferred 
to 5th Unit, Sept., 1918. Automatic Replacement Battalion 
Aug. 25, 1918. Left for France, Sept. 23, 1918. Transferred to 
Battery C, Tractor Arty. Repl. Batt., Oct. 28, 1918. Assigned 
to Sup. Co., 55th Reg., C. A. C. Nov. 7th joined outfit at Epinon- 
ville, Nov. 8th, in time for last days of Meuse, Argonne, offensive 
to Nov. 11, 1918. Returned to U. S. A. Jan. 22, 1919. 

Discharged Feb. 8, 1919, at Fort Wright, N. Y. 



99 



WHITCOMB ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Supply Sergt. William Malcolm Mill 

Born, Glasgow, Scotland 
July 3, 1890 

Camp Devens, Sept. 6, 1917 

Supply Sergt. Dec. 6, 1917 
Co. C, 301st Ammunition Train, 76th Div. 

March 15, 1918, transferred to Headquarters Dept., 301st 
Ammunition Train. Dec. 4, 1918, transferred to special duty 
at St. Argonne, Classification Camp. Returned attached to 
Co. B, 143rd Infantry, 36th Div. Discharged June 9, 1919. 

100 



WHITCOMB ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 









Lieut. James J. Shea, F. A. 

Born, Cambridge, Mass. 

Aug. 18, 1889 

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1912 

Inf. Sgt. 34th Co. 3rd Bm. 151st Depot Brigade 

Motor Section Instruction Schools 

Peoria, 111., Kenosha, Wis., Rock Island, 111. 

Ord. Sgt. 301st Mobile Ordnance Repair Shops, 76th Div. 

Commissioned Lieut. Field Artillery 

Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, Ky. 

Instructor Materiel 7th Regt. 3rd Brigade, F. A. 

Camp Jackson, S. C. 

101 



R. D. 



WHITCOMB ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Pri\ate Thcmas J. Sweeney 

Born, Jan. 5, 1897 
Worcester, Mass. 

Enlisted Aug. 15, 1918 

Franklin Union Training Detachment 

on Automobiles and Motors 

Motor Transportation Corps 
Fortress Monroe 

Tractors and Automobiles 

Discharged Feb. 5, 1919 



Private Harold Wyman 

Born, Feb. 26, 1919 
Bradford, N. H. 

Served in Co. D, 42nd Infantry 
Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. 

July 23, 1918, to October, 1918 
42nd Inf., Co. D, 12th Div. 

Camp Upton, New York 
From Oct., 1918, to Feb. 24, 1919 




102 



W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Capt. Charles Grant Bowker 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Aug. 24, 1891 

Plattsburg, 1917 
Co. D, 302nd U. S. Infantry, 76th Div. 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



103 



W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Sergt. Robert E. Batty 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
June 3, 1895 

Medical Supply Unit, 4th Div. 

American Exp. Forces, France 



Harry Beals 
First Class Quartermaster 

Born, Hardwick, Mass. 
June 30, 1889 

Army Transport Service 




W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 





Wm. Graham Fenton 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Aug. 25, 1895 

Salvation Motor Truck Service 
Ligny-en-Barrios, Meuse, France 



105 



W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Lieut. Albin Hedlund 

Born, Sweden 
Sept. 2, 1891 

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1914 

Plattsburg, 1917 

Battery C, 303rd Regiment, U. S. Field Artillery, 76th Div. 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 




106 



W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Private Louis W. Hendricks 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
May 4, 1898 

Co. C, 104th U. S. Infantry 
(Formerly 2nd Mass. Nat'l Guard) 

26th Division, 52nd Brigade 

American Exp. Forces, France 



A. E. Kelly, Seaman, First 

Born, Worcester, Mass. 
Jan. 20, 1897 

Submarine Patrol, U. S. Navy 




W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 




Corp. George Edward Mayo 

Born, July 25, 1893 
St. Albans, Vt. 

Co. F, 307th Supply Train Motor, 82nd Div. 

American Expeditionary Forces, France 



W. H. HILL ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 



Private Howard C. Morse 

Born, Chicopee Falls, Mass. 
Aug. 10, 1895 

311th Supply Co. : . Q. M. C. 

American Exp. Forces, France 





Corp. Francis P. Swallow 

Born, Allston, Mass. 
March 1, 1894 

6th Obs. Bal. F. A. C. 0. T. S. 
Camp Zachary Taylor, Ky. 



109 



PACIFIC COAST ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. 




Private Roland Cate 

Born, San Francisco, Cal. 
Apr. 10, 1894 

Naval Reserve, San Diego, Calif. 



Private 

Independence Nugget Keeney 

Born, Independence, Montana 
Jan. 8, 1894 

Co. G, 168th Infantry 

American Exp. Forces 




HO 



PACIFIC COAST ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 




Corp. John Little 

Born, Kelso, Scotland 
Dec. 8, 1888 

Battery F, 47th Coast Artillery Corps 



ill 



CENTRAL STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 




Seaman Harry Roll Allan 

Born, Cincinnati, Ohio 
May 22, 1897 

Seaman 2-C, U. S. Navy Signal Corps 



Private Frank Wayland Burris 

Born, Mount Comfort, Ind. 
May 28, 1894 

Cook, Co. K 
130th U. S. Infantry 

American Exp. Forces 




112 



CENTRAL STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 



Seaman Ernest Randolph Ehlers 

Born, Hazelton, Indiana 
1900 

Seaman, 1st Class, U. S. Navy 

American Expeditionary Forces 





Private Robert J. Einspanier 

Born, Cincinnati, Ohio 
Apr. 10, 1894 

40th Balloon Co. 
Aviation Section, Signal Corps 



CENTRAL STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 




Private Glen Edward Frey 

Born, Tipton, Ind. 
Mar. 3, 1896 

Medical Field Hospital 

No. 149 

113 Sanitary Train, 38th Div. 

Camp Shelby 

Hattiesburg, Miss. 



Private Bernard Jones 

Born, Madison, Ind. 
June 10, 1897 

Battery E, 139th Regiment 
Field Artillery 

American Exp. Forces 




CENTRAL STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 



Pri. Harry Marcus Lockhart 

Born, Waverly, Ind. 
Feb. 26, 1887 

Group 1 , 1 59th Depot Brigade 

Development Battalion No. 1 





Private Loyal Dixon Mater 

Born, Bellmore, Ind. 
Aug. 17, 1893 

58 Balloon Co. 
American Expeditionary Forces 



115 



CENTRAL STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 




Corp. Clell Thompson Rice 

Born, Jackson, Ohio 
May 12, 1896 

Signal Detachment 
140th Field Artillery, Battery D 

American Expeditionary Forces 



Sergt. Russell Adams Secrest 
Born, Indianapolis, May I, 1898 

Sergeant S. A. T. C. 

Purdue University 

Lafayette, Ind. 




116 



CENTRAL STATES ENVELOPE CO. DIV. 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 



Lieut. Sidney Thaxter Swallow 

Born, Allston, Mass. 
Sept. 14, 1892 

C. Co., 55th Engineers 

American Expeditionary Forces 





Seaman George Ralph Walker 

Born, Mt. Carmel, III. 
Mar. 23, 1899 

Seaman 2nd Class 
U. S. Navy Signal Corps 



THE YAPHANK - DEVENS TEAM 



Ten-Mile Road Race, Peoria, 111. 



Jan. 1, 1918. 




(Reading left to right.) 

J. Malcom, 77th Div., Camp Upton, N. Y. 
C. E. Hawley, 77th Div., Camp Upton, N. Y. 
J. L. Johnson, 77th Div., Camp Upton, N. Y. 
Lieut. James J. Shea, 76th Div., Camp Upton, N. Y. 
(Whitcomb Envelope Div.) 



118 



Each team in this race consisted of four men with twenty 
teams competing. The race was run in heavy marching order, 
including the rifle and a pack weighing in the neighborhood of 
50 lbs. In addition to be classed as a finisher each team had 
to see to it that the four packs came across the line at the same 
time regardless of whether one man carried all four packs or each 
man carried his own. 

Due to the fact that the other three men from Camp Devens 
were not athletically inclined, Lieut. James J. Shea ran with the 
team representing Camp Upton, Yaphank, N. Y. The teams 
picked for winners were naturally those representing the marines, 
who are supposed to be the best trained men and best men 
physically in any branch of the service. 

The Yaphank-Devens team ran splendidly up to the eighth 
mile when one of the men, becoming exhausted, had to sur- 
render his pack to one of the other men. Lieut. Shea being one 
of the strongest of the four men, the surrendered pack was 
placed on his back. On the last half mile the second man showed 
signs of exhaustion and his pack was in turn placed on the 
shoulders of Shea, with the result that Lieut. Shea carried three 
packs, or close to 150 lbs., for the last half mile. The Yaphank- 
Devens team with this handicap finished second in the race, 
only about eleven seconds behind the team from Camp Lee, 
Va., winners of the race. 

Medals were awarded each of the four men from Yaphank- 
Devens while the winners of the race received individual cups 
and one large trophy which was presented to the cantonment. 

In this particular race the superiority of the marines was 
miscalculated — for one marine team finished No. 8 and the 
other No. 13. 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

February, 1921 Number 12 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In Rockville, Conn. 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 




THE PRESENT HOME OF THE WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 



White & Stickney 
White & Corbin 
White, Corbin & Co. 
The White, Corbin & Co. 



1853 
1855 
1866 

1885 



The White, Corbin & Co. Div. Aug. 1898 



CHAPTER VI 

The envelope industry had its beginnings 
in this country in a number of places: New 
York, Philadelphia, Springfield and Wor- 
cester, Mass., Hartford and Rockville, Conn. 

It can truly be said that history is a record 
of every day but yesterday, and of every 
generation but the present. Yesterday is so 
near to us that we do not consider its events 
which form the commonplace happenings 
of our lives, as having more than a passing 
interest, but the events of yesterday and the 
day before are the foundations upon which 
we build today and upon which we will build 
all the future tomorrows. As we turn back 
the pages of the past to the day of smaller 
things and get far enough away from today 
so that we can get the proper perspective, 
we find that the events of yesterday and the 
day before are of vital interest. 

What is more interesting or inspiring than 
the record of the work of the early pioneers 
in every line of industry in this country? 
What a contribution to history could be made 
if in every city the history of each separate 
invention and industry could be correctly 
and sympathetically written ; and, while some 
of the record would read like a romance, there 
would be chapters which would read, not like 
a romance, but like a tragedy, and while 



many of those early pioneers did not reach 
their goal, they made great contributions 
and made possible the success of some of 
those who followed them, for on the appar- 
ently insecure foundations which they laid, 
their successors have been permitted to build 
their success. And yet, many there are who 
are not conscious of the debt owed to these 
men, some of whom were looked upon by 
their fellow men and often by themselves as 
failures, but they laid the foundations upon 
which we of today have been permitted to 
build and we should hold their memory in 
grateful appreciation. 

Cyrus White, the founder of White, Corbin 
& Co., was born in Richford, Vermont, Nov. 
18, 1814, and died at Rockville, May 10, 1891, 
aged 77 years. He was brought up" on a farm 
and early learned what hard work meant. He 
developed a strong, vigorous, healthy body. 
In the district school which he attended for 
a few weeks each year he acquired the rudi- 
ments of a limited education and at the age 
of nineteen he was apprenticed for three years 
to a blacksmith at Enosburg, Vt. His bi- 
ographer says: "Here he learned literally 
and figuratively to strike while the iron was 
hot" and it can truthfully be said of him he 
never forgot that lesson. 

Mr. White was a many-sided man who was 
always in debt, continually mortgaging the 
future with new business ventures, and we 
make no mistake when we call them ventures 
in those days. All his life he had many out- 
side interests, the grist mill, the coal business, 



the general store, the opera house, and in 
addition he was the sole owner and manager 
of a large gingham mill in Rockville from 
about 1870 up to the time of his death on 
May 10, 1891. He was the type of man needed 
for the development of our young and grow- 
ing country. 

In 1836, when twenty-two years of age, he 
made an engagement for employment with 
a man in Ware, Mass., but his prospective 
employer died suddenly just a few hours 
before he arrived. He thus found himself 
among strangers with only three dollars. 

By chance he heard of a prospective open- 
ing at Vernon Centre, Conn., and joined a 
drover who was taking a herd of cattle to 
Vernon, Conn., and by assisting the drover 
he "worked his passage" to Vernon Centre. 

He obtained work at his trade as a black- 
smith with Charles Lee of Vernon Centre, 
Conn., and remained there until sometime 
during 1838, the last year receiving for his 
services as a skilled workman, board, lodging 
and eighty cents per day. He was ambitious 
and now desired to start in business on his 
own account and planned to locate at Rock- 
ville, Conn., as that town began to give 
evidence of future growth, but there was one 
great stumbling block in the way. When 
asked as to his religious affiliations it devel- 
oped that White was a Methodist and the 
Congregational "powers that be" would have 
no Methodists in Rockville if they knew it. 
So at first he was unable to buy a site on which 
to locate his blacksmith shop. 




Jan. 1, 1839, Mr. White married Miss 
Sarah A. Grant, of. Ware, Mass., and from the 
record it would seem they 
returned to Vernon and 
lived there a short time. 
A little later he was able 
to purchase the blacksmith 
shop and business of Elizur 
S. Hurlbut, in Rockville, 
and with a cash capital 
of a little over $100.00 
he was able to start in 
business on his own 

CYRUS WHITE, 1838 aCCOUnt. 
24 years of age 

Both Mr. White and Mr. 
Corbin were ardent Methodists and years 
before they were associated in business they 
were interested in the establishment of a 
Methodist church in Rockville but religious 
prejudice was so strong that they were not 
able to purchase a site for a number of years. 

Their first church home was a small building 
on West Street ; later they bought the now Ger- 
man Lutheran Church on West Main Street. 
In 1867 they secured a satisfactory central site 
and built the brick structure of the present 
Methodist church. The denomination was 
not strong and to insure an income for its 
support the auditorium was located on the 
second floor with stores underneath so the 
stores on the ground floor carried as we would 
now say, "the overhead." Years afterward, 
White & Corbin deeded their interest in the 
entire property to the church as a gift. 

Mr. John N. Stickney became associated 
with Mr. White in the manufacture of car- 



riages and wagons and under the firm name 
of White & Stickney they carried on the 
business of carriage building and a general 
mill repair business. Mr. Stickney was born 
in Vassalboro, Maine, Jan. 17, 1818; came 
to Rockville in 1846 and died March 1, 1893, 
aged 75 years. 





J. N. STICKNEY 
About 3 5 years of age 



J. N. STICKNEY 
74 years of age 



In July, 1849, Mr. Cyrus White bought 
for $1,700.00 a half interest in the foundry 
owned by Wm. R. Orcutt, Mr. J. N. Stickney 
buying the other half interest for a like 
amount. The inventory of the property 
outside of the real estate was $108.09. They 
also assumed notes and accounts payable 
of $1,446.27, making the entire amount of 
their investment $4,954.36. In 1850 a machine 
shop was added to the foundry. 

When Mr. Wm. R. Orcutt came to Rock- 
ville from Stafford, Conn., he brought with 




WM. R. ORCUTT, 

Who brought Milton G. 

Puffer to Rockville 



him an ingenious young 
man by the name of 
Milton G. Puffer, a pat- 
ternmaker and blacksmith 
by trade, who at once 
found employment with 
Cyrus White in his pattern 
and blacksmith shop and 
through this connection 
Rockville is indebted to 
Mr. Orcutt for its envelope 
industry. 



The envelope industry 
later furnished Mr. Orcutt with his wife, Miss 
Frances Skinner, who, after her marriage in 
1849, operated one of the Puffer envelope 
machines, probably about the year 1853. 

In his early youth Mr. 
Orcutt wanted to borrow 
money from George Kel- 
logg, who represented the 
"powers that be" in the 
town, but Mr. Kellogg 
declined to lend him the 
money but instead de- 
livered him a lecture on 
the sin of running in debt. 
At the close of the lecture 
Miss Frances skinner Mr. Orcutt suggested to 

(Mrs. Wm-R. Orcutt) M ^ KeUogg that & man 

who gave unsolicited ad- 
vice was in his opinion a d — fool. Mr. Cyrus 
White afterward borrowed this saying and 
applied it to the bank president in New Haven 
to which reference is made later. In 1852 
George Talcott, Cyrus White and L. A. Corbin 




entered into an agreement to go to Cali- 
fornia. Mr. White concluded, finally, not to 
go, but Corbin and Talcott went, though they 
did not remain there very long. 





MILTON G. PUFFER 

In 1853 

When 35 years old 



MILTON G. PUFFER 
When 80 or 81 years old 



The making of envelopes by machinery was 
in the minds of many men and White and 
Stickney proposed that Mr. Puffer, who had 
shown inventive ability, build for them an 
envelope machine, he to own one-third interest 
' and the firm the other 
two-thirds. When it was 
about two-thirds done his 
partners became dis- 
couraged at the slow prog- 
ress in its development, 
which caused friction and 
he left their employ and 
went to Windsor Locks, 
where he worked for Mr. 
H. Converse as a pattern 
maker, and work on the 
envelope machine at Rock- 
ville was for the time 




CYRUS WHITE 
50 years of age 



being abandoned. 



10 



On Feb. 5, 1853, Mr. Puffer returned to 
Rockville from Windsor Locks, and finished 
the envelope machine — they operated it for 
a short time, and while it made envelopes 
after a fashion, it was not a mechanical 
success. 

With the experience gained in the construc- 
tion of this first machine Mr. Puffer saw that 
he could improve on his first machine which 
was finished early in 1853. He at once went 
to work on his second machine and as soon 
as he had completed it the first machine was 
consigned to the scrap heap and no one now 
living has any knowledge of what that first 
machine was like; all we know is that it was 
constructed on the rotary principle, which 
was the dream of every envelope machine 
inventor. (M. G. Puffer's letter to Mr. Logan, 
Dec. 14, 1903.) Soon after the second machine 
was started, late in 1854 or early in 1855, Mr. 
Stickney sold his interest to L. A. Corbin, 
and the firm name was changed to White & 
Corbin. The sales in 1855 were about $4,000, 
which was increased to about $8,000 in 1856. 
The firm of White & Stickney was in debt and 
when Mr. Corbin bought Mr. Stickney's 
interest, he simply took his place in the firm, 
assuming his portion cf the obligations and 
paid him $200 in cash. 

L. A. Corbin was born Sept. 18, 1822, in 
Dudley, Mass., and died at Rockville, Apr. 
21, 1906, aged 83 years. He had the usual 
meagre schooling of the country youth. 




L. A. CORBIN 
50 years of age 



When twenty years of age, 
his father having died, he 
left home, going to New 
York in search of work and 
a larger opportunity. 
Unable to obtain work 
in Albany, Troy, Water- 
town, and Glens Falls, he 
finally reached Warrens- 
burg, where he obtained 
work from a Mr. Warren 
who owned large timber 
acreage and who operated 
a saw mill and kept a 
general store. Here he worked for about a 
year. The working hours were from sun up 
to sun down, 4 a. m. till 9 p. m., and the 
wages $9.00 per month. At the end of a year 
he returned home and found employment as 
an apprentice stone cutter with his uncle, 
Sylvanus Wakefield, at SI 1.00 per month. 

He showed marked 
ability as a stone cutter, 
his wages being advanced 
from time to time till he 
received $1.25 per day. He 
followed this trade for a 
number of years, working 
on the great mills then 
in course of construction 
at Webster, Southbridge, 
Charlton and Oxford, 
Mass., and also at Thomp- 
son, Conn. 

In 1847 he went to Rockville, Conn., and 
was employed for a number of years in the 




L. A. CORBIN 
11 years of age 



construction of the Rock Mill, American Mill 
and the Hockanum Mills, and other mills in 
nearby towns. While working on the con- 
struction of these mills he formed associations 
which finally drew him to Rockville for his 
permanent home. 




THE FIRST FACTORY, 1856 

The main building shown in the cut where 
the walk goes to the second story is the 
original building erected by Cyrus White and 
occupied by White & Stickney for the manu- 
facture of carriages and wagons. This build- 
ing was made from the lumber of a church that 
was taken down at Windsor or East Windsor 
and was erected on land bought from Elizur 
Hurlbut. In addition to the carriage business 
they operated a grist mill and coal yard. 
The low building at the left is Murlless 
Foundry and is the original building owned by 
Cyrus White and occupied by White & Stick- 
ney. It was in this building where the original 
first and second envelope machines were 
built. To protect his invention, Mr. Puffer 

13 



applied for a patent on his envelope machine 
and in due course the patent was granted, 
No. 22,149, issued Nov. 23, 1858. the costs 
connected with procuring the patent being 
paid for by White & Corbin and the patent 
was assigned by Mr. Purler to White & Corbin 
for $500. 

While Mr. Puffer was 
at work on his first ma- 
chine, he became ac- 
quainted with the girl 
who was struggling to run 
it, and it was a struggle, 
Miss Mercy B. Rogers, of 
Monson, Mass., who after- 
ward became his wife and 
that proved to be the best 
dividend Mr. Puffer ever 
received from the envelope 
business. She died Sept. 
1, 1894. 

Mrs. Puffer taught Miss 
Cynthia Root to operate 
the original second Puffer 
machine in 1854 or 1855. 
The working hours were 
frrm 6 a. m. to 6 p. m., with 
one hour for dinner. Later 
Miss Root became the in- 
structor, receiving 12^ 
cents per hour, $8.25 per 
week for 66 hours of ser- 
vice. Still later she was 
sent to New York to in- when about 35years of age 
struct the operatives in an 
envelope factory that was being started at 





CYNTHIA ROOT 



25 Beekman Street. The name of the owners 
Miss Root does not now remember but it 
was probably Wm. P. Lyon & Co., to whom 
White & Corbin sold a number of their 




CYNTHIA ROOT 
her machine at Plimpton Mfg. Co. Di 
82 years of age 



Dec. 15, 1915 



machines. Miss Root is the last unbroken 
link between the distant past and the present. 
She operated the second Puffer machine in 
1854, and up to 1916 operated an envelope 
machine at the Plimpton Mfg. Co. Division, 
Hartford, Conn., and when the machine next 
to hers was speeded up, notwithstanding her 
82 years, she insisted that her machine should 

15 



also be brought up to the standard speed. She 
is still living quietly in Hartford, Conn. 

The second Puffer ma- 
chine was of the plunger 
type and this original 
machine is now in the 
museum of the United 
States Envelope Co., 75 
Grove St., Worcester, 
Mass. The reason why 
this particular machine has 
not been destroyed was 
because of patent litigation 
in the early years of the 
industry, for then, as now, 
if a worth-while invention 
is made and patented there usually goes with 




CYNTHIA ROOT 
1915, 82 years of age 




Photograph of model in Patent Office, Washington, D. C. 
Patent 22,149 

16 



it expensive patent litigation, for many there 
are who, while furnishing no original ideas 
themselves, are ever ready to appropriate 
the product of the brain of others. 

In July, 1856, White & Corbin was operat- 
ing three or four of the Purler type of 
plunger machines. 




Photograph of original second Puffer machine in museum of 
United States Envelope Co., 75 Grove Street, Worcester, Mass. 

White & Corbin built the Puffer machines 
principally for their own use but they also 
built machines for several New York envelope 
manufacturers, Wm. P. Lyon & Co., 25 Beek- 
man St., New York; Samuel Raynor & Co., 
New York; J. Q. Preble & Co., New York. 
The machines were built on wooden frames 
and cost about $200 each and were sold for 
$500 each. 

17 



These machines when first invented had 
a capacity of about 1300 envelopes per hour 
and it required three girls to operate two 
machines as the machines were not self- 
gummers. One girl could seal the blanks 
before folding for two machines, so that the 
product was about 900 envelopes per hour 
per operative. 

The old shop in which Puffer's experimental 
work was done and in which the first machine 
was operated on Main Street, Rockville, was 
where Murlless Foundry now stands. They 
never operated but one machine while in 
this building. The building was afterward 
sold to Knee & Murlless by White & Corbin 
who agreed to take their pay for the building 
in castings. White & Corbin also sold the 
blacksmith shop to Horace 
Treat and agreed to take 
their pay in work, for in 
those days no one had any 
real money. Trade was 
largely an exchange of 
goods and it was this barter 
that so wonderfully devel- 
oped the Yankee trading 
instinct. While Mr. Puffer 
was developing his two 
envelope machines, he had 
in 1881 when 51 years of age as an assistant Mr. John 
Pitney, who was born in 
Trowbridge, England, in 1830, and who came 
to this country in 1850, and found work as a 
blacksmith and machinist with Cyrus White 
in his blacksmith shop and foundry. 



18 




He remained with the company through 
its varying changes until the new plant was 
in operation at the Florence Mill. Some years 
after this he had a stroke of paralysis and 
died at Rockville, April 2, 1891, 61 years of 
age. 




The Second Factory, 1857, Brooklyn Street 



White & Corbin then began to make plans 
to go into the envelope business on a larger 
scale and in 1857 they began the construction 
of their second home, the new shop on Brook- 
lyn Street. 

This was a wooden building and was orig- 
inally 39 x 78, three stories with attic and 
^basement, and cost about $8,000, the money 
for its construction being borrowed from the 
Charter Oak Life Insurance Co., of Hartford, 
Conn. The power was supplied by the old 
type wooden overshot water wheel. 

19 



The basement was used by White & Corbin 
as a machine shop in which the envelope 
machines were built. Half of the first story 
was used by Terry Thompson as a grist mill, 
the other half by Erastus McCollum for the 
manufacture of fulling mills and indigo 
grinders. One-half of the second story was 
used by E. K. Rose for winding silk, and 
from this humble beginning, I understand, has 
grown the great silk manufacturing company 
of Belding Bros. & Co. The other half of the 
second story was occupied by Clark Holt and 
Julius Rich, who were engaged in the business 
of winding and dressing cotton thread, and 
from that humble beginning Mr. Prescott 
advised me sprung both the Glasgow Thread 
Co. and Carlisle Thread Co. The third story 
was used by White & Corbin for the manu- 
facture of envelopes. In the attic was a box 
shop run by Edward Shelton and Wm. W. 
Andross (Shelton & Andross) who made paste- 
board boxes for the Silk Co., the Thread Co. 
and the Envelope Co. 

Turning back the pages of the past gives us 
a word picture of the day of smaller things; 
for this small building, originally 39 x 78 feet, 
three stories with basement and attic, con- 
taining about 15,000 sq. ft. of floor space, 
was occupied by five separate firms, three of 
which became prominent factors in making 
the Rockville that now is. 

Some years later 30 feet was added to the 
length of the building, making it 39 x 108. 
The cut shows the enlarged building which is 
still standing. 

20 



Shelton & Andross later (1862) began the 
manufacture of envelopes with four Reay 
machines in what was known as the Glasgow 
mill under the name of the Rockville En- 
velope Company. 

In 1864 they sold out the business to Mr. 
Elisha Morgan of Springfield, Mass., who had 
been the General Ticket Agent for the Con- 
necticut River R. R. Co., and who now 
associated with him in the new venture Mr. 
Chester W. Chapin of Springfield, President 
of the Boston & Albany R. R. Co., and other 
Springfield men. 

Soon after purchasing the Rockville En- 
velope Co. it was moved to Springfield, Mass., 
and the name was changed to E. Morgan & 
Co. It is now the Morgan Envelope Co. Div. 
of the United States Envelope Company. 

One of these original Reay machines, bought 
by Mr. Morgan from the Rockville Envelope 
Co., is now in the museum of the United 
States Envelope Co., 75 Grove Street, Wor- 
cester, Mass. 

After moving into the new Brooklyn Street 
building Mr. Puffer made some improvements 
on the mechanism of his machine and also 
made a double machine, i. e., two machines 
were combined. The machine had two folding 
boxes. It was, in fact, two machines mounted 
on the same frame. By this improvement 
the product of each operative was practically 
doubled, the product being now about 2,000 
per hour for the double machines. 

It was when this improvement was made 
that the hours of labor were reduced from 12 

21 



to 11 hours a day. This machine still was not 
a self gummer. Other inventors were at 
work trying to produce' successful envelope 
machines and White & Corbin entered into 
an arrangement with Mr. F. C. Graves, 
a Hartford machinist, to build for them an 
envelope machine. He worked on the problem 
for some time but did not succeed in develop- 
ing a successful machine. 

In 1870 Mr. Graves began work for the 
Plimpton Mfg. Co. as a machinist and worked 
for them from 1870 to 1910, the last sixteen 
years as superintendent, and died Nov. 5, 
1910, at the ripe age of 80 years, a splendid 
type of the Christian gentleman. 

In due time, 1866-7, the Berlin & Jones Co. 
of New York brought out the Waymouth's 
Envelope machine, a new machine (described 
in Red Envelope No. 7, Oct., 1916). This 
machine was called "the seal flap gumming 
and envelope folding machine." It did more 
and better work than the 
Puffer machine. White & 
Corbin bought one of the 
New York machines, prob- 
ably about 1873, and this 
almost broke Mr. Puffer's 
heart. 

When the Berlin & Jones 
(Waymouth's) machine 
was delivered at the White 
& Corbin factory, Mr. 
Puffer experienced great 

Jones machine sent from N.Y. difficulty in Operating it, 
This photowas taken many . i • . i •. • .1 , •, 

years after taking the position that it 

22 




Miss LIZZIE TURNER 
Who operated the Berl 



could not be operated successfully, so a girl 
was sent up from New York, who taught Miss 
Lizzie Turner to operate the machine and she 
demonstrated the fact that the machine was a 
success. This was a hard blow to Mr. Puffer 
who saw that his machine had been passed in 
the race. He said nothing, but taking his hat 
and coat left the factory, never to return. 
Thus we are given an object lesson of the 
tragedy of invention. 

After leaving the envelope business, Mr. 
Puffer returned to his old trade of pattern 
making and blacksmi thing. He was born in 
Brimfield, Mass., June 14, 1819, and lived to 
the ripe old age of 93 years, dying in Willi- 
mantic, Conn., July 18, 1912. 

Wm. H. Prescott was 
born in Loudon, N. H., 
Aug. 12, 1840, and died at 
Rockville, Conn., February 
24, 1908, aged 67 years. 
When about ten years of 
age the family moved to 
Holyoke, Mass., then a 
small village where he at- 
tended the High School 
and worked mornings and 
evenings in the store of 
R. B. Johnson. At the 
age of 18 he left school 
and continued to work for Mr. Johnson until 
1860 when he was 20 years of age. In August, 
1860, he was engaged as bookkeeper by White 
& Corbin, envelope manufacturers, of Rock- 
ville, Conn., and remained with them as 
bookkeeper till 1865. 




WM. H. PRESCOTT 
23 years of age 



23 



In July, 1865, Mr. Prescott formed a co- 
partnership with three other gentlemen, 
J. N. Stickney, who some years before had 
sold his interest in the White & Stickney Co. 
to Mr. L. A. Corbin, Mr. E. K. Rose, who 
had been in the silk winding business, and Mr. 
Linus B. Plimpton, employed at that time in 
Rockville as a clerk in the dry goods store of 
P. R. Moore, and under the firm name of 
Prescott-Plimpton & Co., they began the 
manufacture of envelopes at Hartford, but 
at the end of a year White & Corbin made Mr. 
Prescott so attractive an offer to return to 
Rockville and take an interest in the firm that 
he felt he must accept it, and in May, 1866, 
he sold his Hartford interest to his partner, 
Linus B. Plimpton, who then organized the 
Plimpton Mfg. Co. This firm started with 
Reay machines, at 178 Asylum Street, in 
Howard's building near the depot, and is now 
one of the Divisions of the United States 
Envelope Co. 

In these days of smaller things in industry 
the owners themselves worked in the shop 
doing anything that needed to be done, work- 
ing in the cutting room, packing room or 
office, as the case might be. On one such 
occasion when Mr. Corbin was working in 
the packing room he marked a case "Freight 
payed." Mr. Frank Keeney, who afterwards 
became bookkeeper, traveling salesman, and 
later, when the United States Envelope Co. was 
organized, Manager of the Division, called 
Mr. Corbin's attention to the fact that 
he had spelled paid wrong, whereupon Mr. 
Corbin said: "Young man, you know too 

24 



much to be around here, you go home," which 
he did. In the course of a few days Mr. 
Prescott, who was then manager, told Mr. 
Keeney to come back and keep out of Cor- 
bin's sight for a few days and it would be all 
right, and so it was. 

In 1877-78, White & Corbin fully equipped 
their factory on Brooklyn Street with Berlin 
& Jones self-gumming envelope machines, the 
product of which at that time was about 
3,000 per hour. This was no larger product 
than was being obtained from the Purler 
double machines, but the co-called Berlin & 
Jones machines gummed the flaps and marked 
a great advance in the development of the 
industry. 

These machines were built exclusively for 
the Berlin & Jones Env. Co., who controlled 
the Waymouth patents. In 1871-1872, they 
were built by the Allen Manufacturing Co., of 
Norwich, Conn., who were afterwards suc- 
ceeded by Holmes & Ely, who in turn, in 1874, 
were succeeded by Lester & Wasley, but the 
machines were not put on the market until 
after Lester & Wasley were the builders. 
D. M. Lester and F. R. Wasley were both 
mechanics, who had worked for the Allen 
Mfg. Co. They greatly improved the Way- 
mouth machine by inventions of their own, 
which led to a new arrangement with the 
Berlin & Jones Env. Co., and this new and 
improved machine was put upon the market 
in 1879 under the name "Leader," which 
name was registered as a trade mark and has 
been in use since June 1, 1879, by Lester & 
Wasley. 

25 



In April, 1881, White & Corbin bought 
the Florence Woolen Mill building at Rock- 
ville and added a large equipment of "Leader" 
folding machines built by Lester & Wasley 
of Norwich, Conn. 




LESTER & WASLEY "LEADER' 



In 1885 White, Corbin 
& Co. was incorporated 
with Cyrus White, Presi- 
dent, Lewis A. Corbin, 
Vice President; and Wm. 
H. Prescott, Treasurer and 
Manager. 

This organization was 
continued till 1898 when 
White, Corbin & Co. be- 
came one of the subsidiaries 




WM. H. PRESCOTT 
58 years of age 



of the United States Envelope Company, Mr. 
Prescott becoming a director of the Company 
and member of the Executive Committee, 
which position he held up to the time of his 
death in 1908. 

Before the Civil War the size of envelope 
mostly in use was what we now call No. 5 
(3}/ 8 x 5K) the stock in the better grade was 
largely made by the Parsons Paper Co. of 
Holyoke, and the price of the paper in I860 
was eighteen cents per pound, and the No. 
5 envelopes sold for $2.25 per thousand. 

One of the largest dealers in the country 
before the war was a Mr. Leonard of Cam- 
bridgeport, Mass., who sold his goods through- 
out New England very largely by peddlers 
who delivered direct from their wagon. 

On one of his visits to Rockville he made 
Mr. White an offer of $2.00 per thousand for 
500,000 which he had been buying for $2.25 
and Mr. White told him he was insulted by 
such an offer, and he hoped he would never 
come to his office again — and he never did. 

In 1865, toward the close of the war, the 
price of Parsons paper, for which they had 
formerly paid eighteen cents, was advanced 
to forty-five cents per pound, the price of 
the No. 5 envelope being advanced to $4.80 
per thousand. The price of a No. 10 official 
from Parson being $9.80 per thousand. 

Prior to 1860 the firm of White & Corbin 
never had a regular pay day. The custom was 
to enter the employee's name on their books 
at the agreed rate of wages per day or week 



and as the firm of White & Corbin also con- 
ducted a general store, they gave to their 
employees orders on the store for such goods 
as the store could supply. If they did not 
happen to have at their store what was 
wanted they would give an order on another 
store and between these different stores there 
was what was called a regular "dicker 
trade," i. e., an exchange of goods, one giving 
orders on the other, but very little cash was 
in circulation. When a workman reached 
the point that he must have some real money 
they would figure up his account and give him 
a note at three or six months for whatever 
balance might be due him and this note he 
would take to the bank and get discounted 
or he would get some local farmer or merchant 
to "shave" it for him. The merchant as 
well as the manufacturer often saw very 
little real money, trade being very largely a 
matter of exchange. Mr. White, who was the 
salesman of the company, would go from 
Rockville to Hartford or New Haven with a 
load of envelopes which he would trade at 
different stores for such articles as he could 
use at this store, so, often he would bring 
back sugar, flour, calico, shoes, hardware, 
etc., and all manner of dry goods and notions, 
but almost no cash. 

The parties with whom he exchanged his 
envelopes for other goods would in turn 
exchange the envelopes for goods which they 
could sell and that was the way in which busi- 
ness was very largely done. Many of the fac- 
tories in those early days used to distribute 
their product in this very primitive way. Mr. 
White was the salesman of the company; he 

28 



was very deaf, which was sometimes an advan- 
tage. It was said he could not hear a complaint 
no matter how loud one talked but they used 
to say he could hear an order if it was whis- 
pered. ■ 

His method was to send up to Hartford and 
New Haven by team what goods he thought 
he could dispose of, then take out a sample 
box, and with this sample under his arm, visit 
prospective customers. On one occasion 
he called upon the president of one of the 
banks of New Haven, who, after looking over 
the samples suggested to him that he did not 
think any reputable manufacturer now would 
like to be hawking his goods round in such a 
way. (The end of an era had been reached 
and new methods of merchandising were 
being evolved.) 

Mr. White drew himself up to his full 
height and replied with considerable dignity, 
that any man who offered 
free advice to a stranger 
unsolicited was in his 
opinion, a d — fool, and 
walked out of the bank. 
Cyrus White was the trav- 
eling salesman for the 
company. He was a frugal 
soul and practiced a virtue 
which the present genera- 
tion does not appreciate, 
as will be seen from the 
copy of one of his expense 
bills which we reproduce 
here for the benefit of present-day salesmen. 




CYRUS WHITE 
75 years of age 



29 



Travelling Expenses Cyrus White 
May (the year is not given) 



2, Rockville to Hartford, 


$0.50 


2, Fare to Boston, 


3.50 


2, Supper 


.18 


3, Three meals 


.75 


4, Room rent 


1.00 


4, Breakfast 


.17 


4, Fare to New York by boat 


5.00 


5, Breakfast 


.25 



$11.35 

Mr. White practiced frugal living and 
believed that all those associated with him 
in business should do the same and on one 
occasion, having noted the fact that the 
butcher stopped at Mr. Prescott's house twice 
during the week, to took him to task for his 
extravagance. The conversation as reported 
to me by Mr. Prescott ran something like 
this: " Henry, does the butcher stop at your 
house twice each week?" and when Mr. 
Prescott acknowledged that to be a fact, 
Mr. White's reply was, ' 'Humph, humph, I 
don't wonder you can't lay up any money — 
meat twice a week." 

In those early days paper was sent over the 
highway from Holyoke to Rockville, thirty 
miles, drawn by four-horse teams. It took 
two days for the round trip, the maximum 
load being eight cases, 4,000 pounds. The 
team would bring back the cutting waste 
and the cost for the round trip was $12.00, 
i.e., thirty cents per hundredweight. 

30 



We often hear men bewail the passing of 
those "Good old days of the past" as though 
they were better than the present, but with 
all its injustice, with all the ills of industrial- 
ism and commercialism, with all the inequali- 
ties in human conditions, God never gave 
His people anywhere on His footstool so 
good days as He is giving us in the United 
States. The persons who do this bewailing 
are not those who lived and worked in those 
"good old days." They are not the ones who 
passed through those experiences, or if they 
are, the facts are simply these: the great 
softener, Time, has been at work and one of 
the blessed things of life is this — that pain 
and discomfort are forgotten and we look 
back through the years and smile at things 
which were then hard to be borne. 

The finest thing about those "good old 
days" is that they have gone and gone forever. 

There came into my possession this month, 
January, 1921, the payroll of White, Corbin 
Co., from November, 1875, to October, 1880, 
and below is the record of wages paid in 
those "good old days," for 66 hours of work. 



From White, Corbin & Co. 
Pay Roll, July, 1880 

Foreman machinist (Inventor) $3 . 00 

Foreman cutter, 2 . 00 

Foreman packing room, 2 . 00 

Foreman printer, 2.25 

31 



♦Miller, 




$2.25 


Packer, 




1.60 


Packer, 




1.50 


Cutter (evidently learner), 




.85 


♦Miller, 




1.50 


Night Watchman, 




1.25 


Teamster, 




1.50 


Teamster, 




1.25 


Label Girl, 




1.00 


2 Handfolders ($1.00 each), 




1.00 


Girl picking up sealed blanks, 




.70 


Girl picking up sealed blanks (1 


earner) , 


.40 


2 Boys in box shop .50 .75, 




.50 


Girl in printing room, 




.70 


4 Folding machine girls, 


each 


1.00 


2 Folding machine girls, 


each 


.90 


1 Folding machine girl, 




.75 


1 Folding machine girl, 




.70 


1 Folding machine girl, 




.60 


2 Folding machine girls, 




.50 


1 Gum boy, 




.40 



*In those days the White, Corbin Co. operated 
a Grist mill in connection with their envelope 
business. 




About the year 1882 
Mr. Francis H. Richards, 
an eminent mechanical en- 
gineer of Hartford, Conn., 
who was born in New Hart- 
ford, Litchfield County, 
Conn., Oct. 20, 1850, com- 
menced work on an en- 
velope printing and folding 
machine along a new line 
of development. The prin- 



cipal patents on this machine were issued Jan. 
20, 1891, but there were many detailed patents 
issued prior to that date. This machine was 
on such an entirely different principle from 
all other envelope machines that more than 
thirty patents were granted on it and one 
hundred and thirty-one new and original 
claims were allowed. 

The machines were built by Pratt & Whit- 
ney Co. of Hartford, Conn., and the patent 
rights for the United States were purchased 
by White & Corbin Co.. in 1887, while the 
patent was still in the patent office, the 
British patents being purchased by Waterlow 
& Co. of London, England. Only six machines 
were ever built for White, Corbin & Co. 

The White, Corbin Co. operated some of 
these machines until 1898 when ten of the 
leading envelope manufacturing companies 
in the United States were consolidated, thus 
forming the United States Envelope Com- 
pany. 

Soon after the consolidation was effected 
the use of the Richards machines was dis- 
continued as there were other machines 
owned by some of the companies consolidated 
which were now released for the common use 
of all the ten companies which could be 
operated more profitably. 



33 




DESCRIPTION OF THE 
RICHARDS ENVELOPE MACHINE 

For Printing, Folding, Counting 
and Banding Envelopes 



The Richards envelope machine for gum- 
ming, folding, printing, counting and banding 
envelopes was without doubt the most scien- 
tifically developed envelope machine of the 
nineteenth century. Distinctively original in 
design, heavily but well proportioned, built 
chiefly of steel forgings, tool steel and high- 
grade iron, it impressed one more as of the 
character of a machine tool or a turret lathe 
than as an envelope machine. 



The main frame or hollow square pedestal 
housed the principal driving cams. These 
cams were oiled by felt wicks having one 
end submerged in oil at the bottom of the 
pedestal, and the other end in position to 
wipe over the moving parts. An intermit- 
tently revolving picker turret, having four 
sets of spring cushioned pickers set 90 degrees 
apart, was centrally and vertically supported 
above the square pedestal. This turret in 
revolving, not only moved each set of pickers 
one quarter of the way around, but also 
imparted an up-and-down motion as well. 

The picker turret had four stops so that 
each set of pickers would in turn stop at the 
picker gumming, envelope gumming, creasing 
and printing, and folding turret stations. 
That is to say, when the picker turret was 
stationary, the front set of pickers was re- 
ceiving gum, the left set was gumming a 
blank, the rear set was holding a gummed 
blank during the process of creasing and 
printing, and the right set was transferring 
the gummed, creased and printed blank to 
the folding turret. 

The gumming station located at the front 
of the machine consisted of a circular platen 
which had an intermittent radial motion like 
the ink platen of a Golding Jobber. This 
platen was fed from an inverted bottle of 
gum which functioned much as an ordinary 
chicken feeder. The pickers were in contact 
with the gummed platen only when the 
platen was stationary, but as the pickers 
raised and started in their rotation toward 
the feed board station the platen was given a 

35 



radial motion so that the next pair of pickers 
would contact with the freshly gummed 
surface of the platen. 

The blank or feed board station consisted 
of an automatic elevator for the pil^ of cut 
blanks. This was so arranged that a constant 
top level was maintained at all times and a 
new supply of envelopes could be added to 
the bottom of the pile without interrupting 
the regular feeding of the blanks from the 
top of the pile. A blank picked from this 
continuous feed elevator was swung to the 
rear and into the jaws of what looked like 
a large punch press. The frames of this press 
supported the printing and creasing means. 
At this station a top and bottom platen both 
creased and printed the envelope as it still 
adhered. Meanwhile the blank was still 
held in suspension between the creasing and 
printing mechanism by means of the gummed 
pickers. 

The fourth stop of the pickers delivered 
the blank to a four-sided, horizontal, folding 
turret head, each side operating as a folding 
box but with end folders only, and as the four- 
sided folding cylinder revolved, the end flaps 
of the successive blanks were folded. In fact, 
the end folders really stripped the successive 
blanks from the horizontally swinging pickers. 

One revolution of the folding turret, by 
means of its cams, simultaneously folded the 
end flaps, bottom flap and top flap of the 
envelope. The top and bottom flaps were 
folded by bringing these laps successively 
into position to be acted upon by radially 

36 



swinging folders not mounted on the turret 
head but having an axis of rotation parallel 
to it. 

A shovel arm conveyed the completed 
envelope from the folding turret into the 
dryer chain which was supported from a 
pulley fastened to the ceiling. In this way 
the envelopes traveled from the machine 
to the ceiling over the pulley and back into 
the machine, giving the envelopes an un- 
usually long time in which to dry. 

The envelopes on leaving the chain were 
pushed one at a time into a housing or band- 
ing well. This was arranged automatically 
so that when twenty-five envelopes had been 
grouped in this banding well, the complete 
package was automatically forced through a 
completed band, this band having been 
sheared off from the end of a tube of folded 
material, that is, the band was formed by 
shearing off the end of a tube of paper which 
was of the right dimensions to form the band. 
In this way the machine actually gummed, 
printed, folded, counted and banded envel- 
opes. 

Notwithstanding the fact that this was 
really a wonderful machine mechanically, 
it did not prove to be commercially a com- 
plete success. The inventor of this machine 
had attacked the problem from an entirely 
new angle. The mechanical mind did not 
see why a machine could not be built which 
would perform all the functions which this 
machine attempted to accomplish and perhaps 
mechanically there was no good reason, but 

37 



with all the varying kinds of paper which 
it was called on to make into envelopes there 
were a number of very serious troubles in 
connection with the successful commercial 
operation of the machine. 

In the first place, when it became necessary 
to stop the machine the blanks would stick 
to the pickers. Bear in mind that this machine 
instead of gumming one blank at a time and 
then stripping it at once from the pickers and 
carrying it to the folding mechanism, had 
three blanks in suspension on the various 
pickers at once, and if the machine stopped, 
there were three blanks which in a very short 
time dried or stuck to the pickers. This 
made necessary the tearing off of the blanks 
and cleaning the pickers before the machine 
could be started again. 

Another very serious difficulty was the 
fact that the end flaps of the envelope were 
folded by four different sets of folders, and 
no matter how carefully these folders were 
adjusted, the envelopes coming from them 
showed that they had been folded by four 
different mechanisms and therefore they did 
not look as well in the box as envelopes folded 
on a plunger machine. They looked more 
like handfolded work. Furthermore, the 
banding mechanism was intricate and did 
not always work properly. The bands would 
sometimes give way, spilling a whole bunch 
of envelopes over the machine. 

In addition, the machine attempted to do 
altogether too much. It was a folding machine, 
printing press, counting and banding machine 



all in one. When anything went wrong with 
the folding part, it was of course necessary 
to stop the printing and the banding part. 
If the machine stopped on account of defects 
in printing, of course the folding and banding 
were stopped; and if anything went wrong 
with the banding, the printing and folding 
were stopped. In other words, the machine 
seemed to be a demonstration of the fact 
that it has not been wise to try to do too 
much in one mechanism. So far, experience 
has led us to believe that to produce the best 
work on envelopes it is better to print on one 
machine and fold on another. 

But the great objection was the fact that 
the envelopes could not be inspected at all. 
They came from the machine banded ready 
to be boxed and the product might be good, 
bad or indifferent, the machine operator 
was entirely unconscious of the quality of 
work being turned out. 

The machine although beautifully made 
was very complicated and it required a great 
deal of expert attendance, and this fact 
taken together with the other difficulties of 
the machine made it not so profitable to 
operate as other more simple machines which 
were now released and could be operated by 
all the ten companies in the consolidation, 
and so after ample demonstration that the 
more simple machines could produce goods 
at a lower cost, the use of these machines was 
discontinued. 

In the development of this machine Mr. 
Richards had as his "Lieut. 5 " a young man 

39 



from Athol, Mass., by name Harry F. L. 
Orcutt, whom he had "brought up in mechan- 
ics," who had worked with him on this ma- 
chine for seven years, and who had installed 
the machines at Rockville, and then went to 
England and installed the machines pur- 
chased by Waterlow & Company. He has 
since remained in England, connected with 
important engineering work. 



Mr. Richards, at the 
ripe age of seventy years, 
is still actively engaged in 
the development of special 
automatic machinery and 
other engineering prob- 
lems. He has been one of 
the most prolific inventors 
which this wonderful cen- 
tury of invention has pro- 
duced, standing second 
only to the great Edison. 




FRANCI8 H. RICHARDS 



In an article in The 191 ° 

Scientific American, June 
5, 1915, there was given the record of the six 
men who had taken out the largest number of 
patents in the United States and they rank as 
below, up to that time. 

Thomas A. Edison, 977 

Francis H. Richards, 847 

Elihu Thomson, 617 

Chas. E. Scribner, 437 

Geo. Westinghouse, 340 

Edward Weston, 299 



40 



Twice since the White, Corbin Co. became 
a division of the United States Envelope Co. 
additions have been made to the plant and 
today it is up to date in every respect. 

The original Florence Mill was simply the 
main building with engine room and wheel 
house at the left, as shown in the cut below. 

On June 11, 1882, a fire destroyed the entire 
upper story and bell tower, causing a loss bv 
fire and water of about $75,000.00 




THE PRESENT HOME OF THE WHITE, CORBIN & CO. DIV. 



In every well ordered organization it 
matters not what it may be, three generations 
usually make up the working team. The 
middle generation which is bearing the burden 
which the older generation is laying down, 
while the men of the younger generation are 
preparing to carry the load which will soon 
be laid upon their shoulders. 




FRANK KEENEY 
2 3 years of age 



When in 1898 Mr. Pres- 
cott severed his connection 
with the White, Corbin 
& Co. Div., of which he 
had been the manager for 
32 years, and assumed his 
duties as a member of the 
executive committee of the 
United States Envelope 
Co., Mr. Frank Keeney 
was appointed manager. 



Rockville in 1850 
of 16 he learned 



Mr. Keenev was born in 
Leaving school at the age 
the trade of wool sorting. 
Later he worked in New York City as a wool 
grader. He returned to Rockville and with 
his father and brother operated a hotel. In 
1878, when 28 years of age, he entered the 
employ of White & Corbin, being successively 
bookkeeper, traveling 
salesman, and manager, 
continuing in this position 
until June 1, 1919, when he 
retired from active duty as 
manager, and was suc- 
ceeded by Mr. E. W. 
Burke who had been 
"second in command" since 
1898 when the United 
States Envelope Co. was 
organized. 

FRANK KEENEY. 
1921 

Mr. E. W. Burke was born in Ellington, 
Conn., in 1868. In 1882 he obtained work in 
the packing room of the White, Corbin Co. 




42 



at $6.00 per week. By 1890 his pay had been 
advanced to $9.00 per week. He then became 
one of the office clerks and a little later one 
of their traveling salesmen, continuing in 
that capacity until 1910 when he was made 
assistant manager of the Division. 




E. W. BURKE 

14 years of age 

1882 




E. W. BURKE 

1921 




E. H. WOODFORD 

35 years of age 



In 1873, just before Mr. 
Puffer left the company, 
Mr. E. H. Woodford, who 
was born in Avon, Conn., 
1849, was hired by Mr. 
Corbin and without being 
given any special work to 
do he was turned loose on 
the job to find his work. 
With the passing of the 
years he finally became 
the superintendent and 



43 



continued in that position till 1917, when he 
retired from the position he had so long held 
and was succeeded by Frederick W. Chap- 
man, who was born in 
Greenville, Conn., Jan. 10, 
1866, and who began work 
for White, Corbin & Co. as 
a press feeder in the Print- 
ing Department April 15, 
1881. He was made fore- 
man of the Printing De- 
partment in Nov., 1892, 
continuing in that posi- 
tion until he became super- 
intendent in Nov., 1917. 

E. H. WOODFORD 

1921 






F. W. CHAPMAN 
17 years of age 



F. W. CHAPMAN 

1921 



Mr. Martin Laubscher, 
Assistant Manager of the 
Division, was born in 
Rockville, Oct. 20, 1863, 
and began work for the 
company Aug. 8, 1881, as 
general office clerk. The 
following year he was made 
bookkeeper and continued 
in that position until 1898, 
when, upon the organiza- 
- tion of the United States 
Envelope Co. he became 
the office manager, and 

in 1917 was made Assistant Manager of the 

Division. 




20 years of age 



When the war with Spain broke out in 
1898 Mr. Martin Laubscher was Captain and 
Mr. F. W. Chapman was 2nd Lieut, of C 
Company, First Conn. 
Volunteer Infantry, Rock- 
ville, Conn., which was 
mustered into the Federal 
Service May 4, 1898, being 
stationed at Portsmouth, 
N. H., and Camp Alger, 
Va., during their term of 
service, and at the close of 
the war they were mus- 
tered out Oct. 31, 1898. 




MARTIN LAUBSCHER 
1921 



Rockville City Hospital 

In January, 1908, Mr. Wm. H. Prescott 
conveyed to a Board of Trustees the sum of 



45 



,000.00 for the Rockville City Hospital, 
William Henry Prescott Foundation. Since 
his death, February 24, 1908, through drives 
and bequests additional sums have been se- 
cured so that in the near future Mr. Pres- 
cott's dream of a hospital for Rockville will 
come true. 

Mr. Prescott's widow, son and daughter, 
interested in the same good work, purchased 
the Gainor Place on Prospect St., which they 
conveyed to the Board of Trustees as a site 
for the hospital. 

Branch Factory at Cincinnati, Ohio, 1866. 

White, Corbin, Bouve & Co. 
S. A. Grant & Co. 
W. E. Payne & Co. 

About 1866 White & Corbin, associated 
with Mr. Bouve and Mr. James Prescott 
(brother of Mr. William H. Prescott), estab- 
lished a branch envelope manufacturing plant 
in Cincinnati, Ohio, the machines being trans- 
ferred from the Rockville factory, Mr. James 
Prescott being the manager. 

Mr. Corbin later bought Mr. White's in- 
terest, and the firm was changed to S. A. 
Grant & Co., with Mr. Grant, a son-in-law of 
Mr. Corbin, in charge. Still later the firm 
was changed to W. E. Payne & Co., with 
Mr. Payne (another son-in-law of Mr. Cor- 
bin 's) in charge. 

White & Corbin finally acquired the plant, 
which was destroyed by fire in 1880, and 

46 



what machinery was salvaged was taken 
back to Rockville, Conn. 

The pioneers in the envelope industry have, 
with but few exceptions, joined the great 
majority and the boys of their generation are 
bearing the burden of today. 

In the closing paragraphs of this article 
we have shown how the burden was trans- 
ferred from the shoulders of one generation 
to their successors at the White, Corbin & 
Co. Division, all the Captains and Lieuten- 
ants being promoted from non-commissioned 
officers who had come up from the ranks. 

In 1898 we came to the end of an era in the 
envelope business at Rockville, when the 
White & Corbin Co., with nine other en- 
velope companies were, on Aug. 18, 1898, 
merged into the United States Envelope 
Company; but, as Rudyard Kipling would 
say, "that is another story" to be told later. 
The present mission of The Red Envelope 
is, so far as possible, simply to preserve the 
history of the beginnings of the envelope 
industry in the United States. 

JAMES [LOGAN, 

Ghsbbal Manages 



47 




The Hall-mark of Quality 



31}tf 8Uft iEttolnp? 



October, 1921 



Number 14 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In Hartford, Conn. 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER VII 




PLIMPTON MFG. CO. Div. 4 

1887-1921 

252-254-256 Pearl Street Hartford, Conn. 

Prescott, Plimpton & Co. 1865 
L. B. Plimpton & Co. 1866 

Plimpton Env. & Paper Co. 
Plimpton Mfg. Co. (Inc.) 1872 
Plimpton Mfg. Co. Div. 1898 



The firm of Prescott, Plimpton & Co., 

Hartford, Conn., was organized in 1865, and 

was composed of Mr. Wm. H. Prescott, who 

had been associated with White & Corbin 

of Rockville, Conn., since 1860. Mr. Linus 

B. Plimpton, who was born in Southbridge, 

Mass., June 28, 1829, and who had been a 

dry goods salesman for P. R. Moore, in 
Rockville, Conn., Mr. E. 
K. Rose, who had been 
engaged in the business of 
winding silk, Mr. John N. 
Stickney, who had for- 
merly been associated with 
Cyrus White in the en- 
velope business in Rock- 
ville, Conn., and who some 
years before had sold his 
interest to Lewis A. Corbin. 
They began doing busi- 
ness in the upper lofts of 
the Howard Building, on 

Asylum St., and they had 

the usual experiences of 

starting a new business. 

They had been operating 

about a year when, in 1866, 

White & Corbin made Mr. 

Prescott so attractive an 

offer to return to Rockville, 

Conn., and take an interest 

in the firm that he felt he 

must accept it, and in May, 

1866, he sold his interest in 

the Hartford venture to 

one of his partners, Mr. 

Linus B. Plimpton. 




WM. H. PRESCOTT 

23 years of age 




J. N. STICKNEY 
About 35 years of age 




L. B. PLIMPTON 
1865. 36 years of age 

company, for nei- 
ther of the two 
other partners were 
expected to have 
anything other 
than a financial 
interest in the com- 
pany; but, with 
courage, Mr. 
Plimpton faced the 
future practically 
alone, reorganizing 
the company under 
the firm name of 
L. B. Plimpton & 
Co. Later the 
name of the com- 
pany was changed 
to the Plimpton 
Envelope & Paper 
Co., and still later, 
in 1872, the com- 
pany was incor- 



Mr. Plimpton, before em- 
barking in the envelope 
venture, had been working 
in a dry goods store in 
Rockville, Conn., and had 
no knowledge of the en- 
velope manufacturing busi- 
ness. He was to be the 
traveling salesman and 
when Mr. Prescott, who 
was the man with the 
practical knowledge of the 
business, withdrew, it 
greatly crippled the new 




HOWARD BUILDING 

Asylum St. in 1921, where Plimpton business 

was carried on 1865-1868 



porated under the name of the Plimpton 
Manufacturing Co. 

In 1868 the business continuing to grow 
was moved from Howard Building on Asylum 
Street to a building on Ford Street. In 
January, 1877, a fire destroyed the Ford 
Street plant and what was salvaged from the 
fire was taken to the Batterson Building on 
Asylum Street (afterwards rebuilt and turned 
into the Hotel Garde). They continued to 
do business there until 1887, when the 
business having outgrown this plant, it was 
transferred to the building 252-254-256 Pearl 
Street, where they remained till 1921, when 
the extension of Ann Street compelled them 
to move to the factory on South Ann Street, 
corner of Jewell Street, which was formerly 
the home of the Hartford Mfg. Co., where 




NEW HOME OF THE PLIMPTON MFG. CO., 1921 
CORNER SOUTH ANN AND JEWELL STS. 



the Government Stamped envelopes were 
made for so many years. 

Mr. F. C. Graves who was connected with 
the Plimpton Co. for 40 years came to the 
United States from Ireland in 1851, when 21 
years of age. He worked as a machinist on 
various kinds of machines, from locomotives 
to sewing machines, and while working for 
Hoe & Co., New York, he worked on the 
first press built by them on which a news- 
paper could be printed on both sides without 
rehandling the paper. 

In April, 1863, he was 
called upon by Mr. Geo. 
H. Reay, with whom he 
had been acquainted for 
some years, who offered 
him a position to take his 
newly invented envelope 
machines as they were 
completed by the machine 
builders, Rau & Ankele, 
later Rau & Ekstine, and 
still later Martin Rau, and 
instal them in the different 
factories wherever they 
might be sold, and stay with them until they 
were in successful operation. In 1863-4-5 he 
made installations of the Reay machine at the 
White, Corbin & Co. factory at Rockville, 
Conn., also at the Rockville Envelope Co. 
(Shelton & Andros), Rockville, Conn., also 
in the factories of McSpedon & Baker, 
Henry Chamberlin, Berlin & Jones Env. Co., 
Samuel Raynor & Co., all of New York. In 
1865 and 1866 he installed the machines at 




G. H. REAY 

When a young m; 




the Plimpton plant at Hartford, Conn. 
In 1866 he installed Reay machines at G. 
Henry Whitcomb Co.'s plant at Worcester 
and there he made the acquaintance of the 
Swift Brothers, out of which acquaintance 
there grew a lifelong friendship. 

L. B. Plimpton & Co. 
had bought in all 12 Reay 
envelope-folding machines 
and Mr. F. C. Graves, 
then in the employ of 
Geo. H. Reay of New 
York, had been sent to 
Hartford at different times 
to instal the additions to 
their equipment. After 
the plant was in successful 
operation he returned to 
New York. Later he 
worked at his trade as a 
machinist in Hartford and it was during this 
period, i. e., between 1866 and 1870, that 
White & Corbin employed him to build for 
them an envelope-folding 
machine (see Red Envel- 
ope XII, pp. 22), but he 
did not succeed in building 
a satisfactory machine and 
returned to his work as 
a machinist. In 1870 he 
began work at his trade as 
a machinist for the Plimp- 
ton Env. & Paper Co., and 
continued with them until 
his death, Nov. 5, 1910, at F c graves 

the ripe age Of 80 yearS, About 76 years of age 



F. C. GRAVES 
About 35 years of age 




after forty years of faithful and efficient ser- 
vice, during the last sixteen years of which 
he was superintendent of the plant. He was 
born in the county of Meath, Ireland, June 
10, 1830. He learned the machinist's trade 
on locomotive and marine engines in the town 
of Drogheda, County of Meath, Ireland. 

It is an interesting fact that Geo. H. Reay 
was born in the same town in the north of 
Ireland in which Mr. Graves served his 
apprenticeship as a machinist (Drogheda). 
This, no doubt, was one of the bonds which 
drew them together. In the Red Envelope, 
No. V, p. 12, Mr. Reay is referred to as a 
young Englishman, but Mr. Reay's son, 
Raphael Martine Reay, told the "G. M." 
this was an error, as he was born in the north 
of Ireland. 

When Prescott, Plimp- 
ton & Co. started their 
plant in 1865, Miss Cyn- 
thia Root, who had been 
teaching the girls at the 
White & Corbin plant in 
Rockville, Conn., and at 
several factories in New 
York, to operate the Puffer 
and Reay machines, was 
employed to teach the 
operatives at Hartford and 

When about 3 5 years of age ^g COnneC tion Continued 

through a long life. She 
worked for the Plimpton Mfg. Co. regularly 
until Oct. 21, 1915, when at the age of almost 
eighty-two years she was retired on a pension 
to enjoy five years of quiet comfort while the 




CYNTHIA ROOT 1869 



sun was slowly sinking in the west. She was 
offered retirement years before but she in- 
sisted on continuing her work, saying she 
would be very unhappy to be obliged to give 
up her work, so she was permitted to con- 
tinue and give such service as she felt able to 
give. 



iL 1 r ■ . 

f " 

■ * is™ 


1 ! # * 

_ 




,jgl ^K 


"^w^ jA 


1 



CYNTHIA ROOT 

at her machine at Plimpton Mfg. Co. Di 
82 years of age 



Dec. 15, 1915, 



She was born in East Glastonbury, Conn., 
Mar. 17, 1834, and died at Hartford, Conn., 
July 22, 1921, aged 87 years. Miss Root was 
almost the last link binding the distant past 
of the industry to the present and throughout 



her long life she was a willing, faithful worker. 
Mr. Graves wrote of her: "She was an inde- 
fatigable worker, always taking the first 
possible stroke of the machine when the power 
started in the morning and at the noon hour 
and always running her machine till the power 
was shut off at noon or night." When in 
1915 the machine next to hers was speeded 
up, notwithstanding her almost 82 years, she 
insisted that her machine should also be 
brought to the new standard for speed. 

In 1869 Mr. Oliver Plimpton, brother of 
L. B. Plimpton, who was born in Southbridge, 
Mass., Oct. 2, 1818, be- 
came superintendent of the 
Plimpton plant, continuing 
in that position for twenty- 
five years, until 1894, when 
failing health compelled 
his retirement. He died 
in Hartford, Conn., Oct. 
3, 1902, and was succeeded 
by Mr. F. C. Graves, who 
had been with the com- 
pany since 1870, and assis- 
tant to the superintendent 
for many years. 

In 1874 Hon. Marshall Jewell, of Hartford, 
Conn., was the Postmaster General and he 
induced the Plimpton Manufacturing Co. to 
bid on the contract for supplying the Govern- 
ment with stamped envelopes and newspaper 
wrappers then held by George H. Reay 
(of New York City). 

The Plimpton Mfg. Co., being the lowest 
responsible bidders, were awarded the con- 




OLIVER PLIMPTON 
About 75 years of age 




THE FIRST HOME OF THE STAMPED ENVELOPE WORKS 
26 High Street 



12 



tract. Realizing the size of the contract and 
their inadequate facilities they felt they must 
have assistance in carrying it out and arrange- 
ments were entered into with the Morgan 
Envelope Company, of Springfield, Mass., 
by which the two companies, while each 
conducted its regular commercial business as 
a separate corporation, joined forces in 
executing the contract with the Government 
which they held continuously against all 
bidders for the following thirty- two years, 
or until 1906. 

When the Plimpton Mfg. Co. secured the 
Stamped Envelope Contract they were fortu- 
nate in having in their employ, as Master 
Mechanic, Horace John Wickham, and recog- 
nizing Mr. Wickham's superior fitness for 
the position, the Plimpton Mfg. Co. placed 
him in charge of its mechanical and manu- 
facturing department. This gave him the 
opportunity for which he had been waiting 
and for which his long apprenticeship had 
fitted him. 

Mr. Wickham was born 
in Glastonbury, Conn., 
April 1, 1836. The first 
fourteen years of his life 
were spent in Glastonbury, 
after which the family 
moved to Manchester, 
Conn. His early educa- 
tion was only such as the 
common schools of the 
town could give him, but 
he improved his oppor- 
tunities to the limit. 




HORACE J. WICKHAM 
About 1875 



13 



Early in life he had shown that he had 
been given the mechanical instinct and at 
the age of seventeen years he was apprenticed 
to the machinist's trade with a Mr. Pratt, 
a manufacturer of clocks at Bristol, Conn. 
He mastered the trade with rapidity and 
thoroughness, simply following his natural 
mechanical bent. In 1856, at twenty years of 
age, he was a master of his craft, and becoming 
a full-fledged "journeyman" he journeyed 
to New Haven to enter the employ of the 
Whitney Arms Co. He was given a respon- 
sible position for one of his years, and re- 
mained with the company during most of 
the period of the Civil War, making many 
improvements in the art of gun making and 
becoming one of the foremen contractors in 
the works of the Whitney Arms Company, 
at New Haven. 

In 1864 he left New Haven to become 
Master Machinist in the United States 
Arsenal at Springfield, Mass. 

After the Civil War the demand for the 
manufacture of guns declined and Mr. 
Wickham, foreseeing the lack of opportunity 
for advancement along that line, returned to 
Manchester, Conn., and took a much needed 
rest, finally becoming foreman in a knitting 
factory in Manchester, Conn. 

In April, 1869, Mr. Wickham moved to 
Hartford, Conn., and became identified with 
the Plimpton Mfg. Co. and began what 
proved to be his life work, and from then until 
the day of his death, May 22, 1914, his life 

14 



was a part of the civic, mechanical and 
industrial life of the city. 

The Plimpton Mfg. Co. at that time were 
large manufacturers of commercial envelopes, 
besides manufacturing papeteries, writing 
tablets, school note books, and selling large 
quantities of ruled note papers, and in addi- 
tion were operating a general mercantile 
printing department and retail stationery 
store. 

A fire on the morning of Jan. 28, 1877, 
destroyed a large part of their plant, the 
loss being about $120,000.00, covered by 
$96,000.00 insurance. They fortunately saved 
their office, store room and their new envelope 
equipment which had but recently been 




%, 






REAY ENVELOPE-FOLDING MACHINE 
15 



installed. Their papeterie department, which 
had become a large and important branch of 
their business, together with all its machinery, 
was entirely destroyed. 

When the Plimpton Co. was awarded the 
contract for making Stamped Envelopes they 
were not able to procure machinery like that 
which had been used by the former con- 
tractors and so were obliged to fold their 
first stamped envelopes on Reay machines 
after the blanks had been printed and em- 
bossed on the Allen Rotary printing press, 
nicknamed ''The Jumper." 




ALLEN ROTARY PRINTING PRESS 
"The Jumper" 



Mr. Wickham was an ingenious mechanician 
and inventor and his problem was to invent 
and construct a machine that would do the 
work at one operation. He gave close study 
to his problem and was eminently successful 
in soon producing a machine in which the 
several processes of printing, embossing, 
gumming, folding and counting were com- 
bined. These machines were continually 
being improved and, from about 1876 to 1906, 




Drawing filed with application for patent on Envelope-Folding Machine 
by Horace John Wickham. Patent No. 177,048. May 2, 1876 



30 years, practically all the government 
stamped envelopes and stamped newspaper 
wrappers were made on machines of which 
Mr. Wickham was the principal inventor, 
the machines being built under his personal 
supervision, and were exclusively controlled 

17 



jointly by the Plimpton Mfg. Co. and the 
Morgan Envelope Co. Mr. Wickham was 
granted by the United States Government 
about 40 patents for improvements in envel- 
ope-making machinery. 

Before completing the envelope machine 
he began work on a new machine for making 




Photograph of model of 

Horace John Wickham's Envelope-Folding Machine in the 

Patent Office, Washington, D. C. Patent No. 177,048. May 2, 1876 



the stamped newspaper wrappers and soon 
had a machine which completely revolu- 
tionized the operations of manufacture in 
this line of goods. 

He severed his active connection with the 
Plimpton Mfg. Co. in 1898 and for the 

18 



remaining years of his life devoted his time 
to a well-earned leisure and to his other 
large interests. 

In 1883-1884 he served the city of Hartford 
as a member of the City Council from the 
First Ward. 




Horace John Wickham Envelope Printing and Folding Machine 
Front View 



He died May 22, 1914, aged 78 years. 

Mr. Wickham was often urged to write his 
recollections of his busy life and finally con- 
sented to do so. The following extracts are 
taken directly from the data which he had 
commenced to set down. 

19 




Horace John Wickham Envelope Printing and Folding Machine 
Side View 



"After I became associated with the 
Plimpton Mfg. Co. at Hartford in the manu- 
facture of envelopes, the company secured 
the contract to make the stamped envelopes 
for the United States Government, but it 
did not have machines enough to meet the 
terms of the contract. What machines the 
company did own could not produce envelopes 
fast enough or in sufficient quantities and the 
machines did not gum the flaps of the envel- 
opes, and the cost of production was too great. 

"The company tried to buy more envelope 
machines, but the owner of the patent refused 
to sell more of his machines. The company 
managed to purchase a few old machines but 
still it could not fulfill the contract. 

"I saw that something would have to be 
done to increase the output and to greatly 
lessen the cost of production, so I began 

20 



studying the problem of devising an entirely 
new machine for making envelopes. After 
some time I perfected the machinery that 
would accomplish more than had before been 
dreamed of. When I was inventing this 
machine I did not know one day from another. 
I had to be told when Sunday came and I had 

to work seven days 
a week with the 
great problem on 
my mind. 

"I will tell you 
more about this 
tomorrow, after I 
have had time to 
think it over a 
little." 

And on the to- 
morrow Mr. Wick- 
ham was dead and 
so his recollections 
were never com- 
pleted. 




HORACE JOHN WICKHAM 
Late in life 




CLARENCE HORACE 

WICKHAM 
1876. 16 years of age 




CLARENCE HORACE 

WICKHAM 
1898. 3 8 years of age 



21 



During the many years Mr. Wickham was 
associated with the Plimpton Mfg. Co. in the 
Stamped Envelope business, his son, Mr. 
Clarence Horace Wickham, was his assistant. 

Another man who rendered conspicuous 
service to the Plimpton Co. in machine con- 
struction was Edward Pittman, who was 
born in Germany, June 19, 1842, in the city 
of Dulmen, Westphalia, Prussia. He came 
to the United States in 1864, when 22 years 
of age in order to avoid military duty in 
Germany. 

While in Germany he 
learned the trade of a 
machinist and toolmaker 
so thoroughly that when 
he landed in this country 
he found no trouble in 
getting employment even 
though at the time the 
country was in the midst 
of the Civil War. 

The Singer Sewing ma- 
edward pittman chine was the first piece of 
machinery to receive his 
attention and he gave to 
that machine three years of his inventive 
genius while living in Newark, N.J. He then 
worked for a short time as a machinist in 
Brooklyn, making machinery for the manu- 
facture of the then fashionable hoop-skirt. 
Next he worked as foreman for the Chamber- 
lins on Beekman Street, New York City, in 
the construction of envelope machinery, where 
he remained for about three years. 

22 




Desiring to work for himself and with his 
knowledge of sewing machines, he started as 
a sewing machine agent, selling, repairing and 
exchanging sewing machines in one of the 
suburban towns on Long Island. It was slow 
business and net to his liking, for he was not 
a merchant but a mechanic, and he learned 
what many other men have learned, that to 
be sure of his pay envelope at the end of each 
week or month was quite a different thing 
from conducting his own business. So he 
began to look through the want columns of 
the New York papers for a chance to make a 
change, finally answering an "ad" by a 
Hartford party who wanted to get a man to 
complete an envelope machine. Having had 
some experience on envelope machinery as 
foreman for the Chamber lins, this opening 
appealed to him. 

The result was he came to Hartford, Conn., 
was employed by the Plimpton Mfg. Co., 
and was the principal assistant to Mr. Wick- 
ham in the construction of his envelope 
machine for making stamped envelopes with 
printed corner card. While the work of 
inventing and constructing these machines 
was under way, Mr. Wickham was giving his 
time exclusively to the Stamped Envelope 
Works, being entirely relieved of his respon- 
sibility with the Plimpton Mfg. Co., but the 
connection between the Plimpton Mfg. Co., 
Morgan Envelope Co. and the Stamped 
Envelope Works was so close that any 
machinist who was needed by the Stamped 
Envelope Co. was drafted for service at the 
new plant. 

23 



On May 2, 1876, Mr. Wickham's patent 
No. 177,048 was granted and his machine was 
exhibited at the Centennial Exposition in 
Philadelphia in the same year. This machine 
with its many improvements enabled the 
company to hold the Government contract 
for a long series of years. 




Edward Pittman Envelope-Folding Machine 

Patent No. 235,453. Dec. 14, 1880 

Front View 

Mr. Pittman, who was still working for the 
Plimpton Mfg. Co., made them a proposition 
to build another envelope machine for regular 
commercial work, which proposition was 
accepted and in due time the machine was 
constructed and the factory fully equipped 
with these machines. Dec. 14, 1880, the 
patent No. 235,453 was granted but too 
late for Mr. Pittman to receive it, as he 
died of typhoid fever Aug. 18, 1880, in his 
38th year. 

In 1895 a new corporation was formed, 
The Hartford Mfg. Co., to take over from the 



Plimpton Mfg. Co. and the Morgan Envelope 
Co. the stamped envelope and stamped 
newspaper contract with the United States 
government. 

The following were elected officers of the 
new corporation: 





L. B. PLIMPTON 
1898 



ELISHA MORGAN 
1898 




MARO S. CHAPMAN 

1898 

HARTFORD MFG. CO. 



President, Linus B. Plimpton 

Treasurer, Elisha Morgan 

Secretary and Treasurer, Maro S. Chapman 



25 




Mr. Frederick Plimpton, 
nephew of L. B. Plimpton, 
was born in Putnam, Conn., 
Jan. 7, 1848. He was 
educated in the public 
schools of Putnam, and 
after a course of study at 
Eastman's Business Col- 
lege, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 
in the spring of 1873, he 
commenced working for 
Frederick plimpton the Plimpton Mfg. Co., 
1898 later becoming Secretary, 

and still later Treasurer 
of the Company. 

On the organization of the United States 
Envelope Co. in 1898, he became Assistant 
Treasurer, serving until Sept. 1, 1901. He 
died in Milwaukee, Wis., in August, 1907. 

During the long years of 
service which Mr. Graves 
gave to the Plimpton Mfg. 
Co., he had as one of his 
principal assistants Mr. R. 
H. Roberts, who on the 
death of Mr. Graves in 
1910 was appointed super- 
intendent, continuing in 
that position until retired 
in 1920, after 36 years of 
service. He is now enjoy- 
ing the evening of life in 
Los Angeles, California. 

The "G. M." wrote Mr. Roberts early in 
1921 to learn something of his early life and 

26 




R. H. ROBERTS 

1891 
40 years of age 



experience, and his letter is such an interesting 
human document that it is herewith repro- 
duced : 

"Los Angeles, Cal., 1921. 

"My dear Mr. Logan: 

"I was born September 1, 1851, in a straw- 
thatched cottage at a small seaport town 
called Llanelly on the south coast of Wales. 

"May 1, 1853, we moved a few miles to a 
place called Carnarvon, a great town for 
making tinned plates, the tin being secured 
from Cornwall, England, and the plates rolled 
and plated at this place. 

"July 29, 1857, found us in the coal mining 
village of Llansamlet, Glamorganshire. This 
is where I first went to school. We lived here 
five years, then moved to Cardiff, a seaport 
town on the Bristol Channel — this was on 
December 14, 1863. 

"My mother died on April 3, 1865, at which 
time I was taken from school and worked as 
an office boy for seven months. I had been 
longing to go to sea, and to sea I went, sailing 
from my home town in September, 1866. 

"I do not think there is any place where a 
greenhorn can show helplessness more than 
on board a ship, and I was one, but I remember 
well the Strait of Gibraltar and Pharoah's 
Lighthouse, the City of Alexandria, the 
strange looking sail boats, the Arabs, Pom- 
pey's Pillar and Cleopatra's Needles, one of 
which was standing. 

27 



"We returned to Liverpool. It was winter 
and the stormy Irish Sea made me long for 
home, and when I arrived I worked in the 
same office as heretofore, but it had no charm 
for me, and within a year's time I was again 
on a ship going to Montevideo (Uruguay), 
then around the Cape Horn to Callao (Peru) 
and loaded guano in the Chinchi Islands. 
On the return trip when near Cape Horn 
during a heavy storm we ran into an iceberg 
and we had a narrow escape from Davy Jones' 
locker. We drifted clear with our bow 
smashed and tons of ice on our deck. It was 
a close call! We put back for Valparaiso 
(Chile), did repairs there; we remained four 
weeks to refit and then started off on our 
home run. After eighteen weeks we arrived 
in Queenstown, Ireland, winter time and 
short of provisions. Here we received our 
orders for our port of discharge, which was 
Hull, England, around the wild coast of the 
English Channel, through the North Sea with 
head winds. We spent three weeks getting 
to Hull; our cargo was discharged and we 
reloaded with railway iron and chartered for 
Quebec, going around the north of Scotland 
past John 0' Groat's house, through the 
Pentland Firth, and in one month's time we 
sailed up the wonderful Gulf and River of 
Saint Lawrence. 

"Before we sailed again I had a fall which 
nearly ended my existence, and when I 
regained consciousness my ship was far 
away, and I was left in a hospital. It was 
some months before I was able to do any- 
thing. Winter coming on — I was hired on 

28 



a ship bound for Buenos Aires (Argentina, 
S. A.). The crew were all rough-necks, 
quarreling and fighting; I had a delightful 
time.(?) These men were discharged in 
Buenos Aires. Leaving there, we sailed back 
to Quebec and it took nearly all the money 
I earned in the eight months to pay for my 
expenses of the previous summer. 

"I shipped on board a vessel going to Bristol, 
England, where I arrived August 20, 1870, 
stayed at home with my folks for a couple of 
weeks, then sailed for Quebec once again. 

"We returned to Cardiff by December 14, 

1870, the ship remaining in dock that winter, 
I living on board. We again sailed for 
Quebec April 5, 1871. 

"During the winter, thinking matters over, 
I came to the conclusion that a seafaring 
life was not going to bring me anywhere. 
I considered that when I arrived in Quebec 
I would leave the ship and try my chances 
ashore. The Captain allowed me to do so, 
giving me references; so on arriving at Que- 
bec I took the steamer, getting to Montreal 
early in the morning. 

"After breakfast, when I was cleaned up, I 
took a walk up Notre Dame Street and soon 
noticed a sign in a window 'Help Wanted.' 
I went in and found work at once, which 
was 8 A. M. I had to get up at five 
o'clock, clean a horse and stable, get break- 
fast and open the store by seven. They 
closed at 9 P. M. This lasted until Christmas, 

1871. Leaving there, I went to upper Canada 

29 




RICHARD HENRY 
ROBERTS 

69 years of age 
(Supt. from 1910 to 1920, 
now residing in Los Angeles) 



once again on 



to a man who was ac- 
quainted with my father in 
the old country. Here I 
worked in a saw mill until 
spring, when one day I 
cut my left hand very 
badly, which laid me up 
for some time. In the 
meantime I was offered 
work again by the man I 
worked for in Montreal, 
to go to work in a store in 
Quebec. This I accepted 
and worked for him until 
Christmas, when I was 
the march. 



"I came to Montreal and went to work as 
a helper in a chair factory. At that time I 
decided I would try to get a place to learn 
machine shop work and I succeeded in 
getting a place in the John McDougal 
Machine Shop — this was in May, 1873. 
I wriggled through the depression in 76 and 
following year. I worked in the machine 
shop for eight years. 

"I left Montreal, getting employment in 
the Hartford Engineering Company. This 
plant went out of existence and I was dis- 
charged in December, 1882. Trade was very 
dull in Hartford at that time, but after being 
idle for several months I went to work with 
the Plimpton Mfg. Co., Asylum Street, 
Hartford. This was in March, 1884, and 
I have never worked anywhere else since. 

"(Signed) R. H. Roberts." 





1872 1921 

JAMES M. PLIMPTON, Manager 

As he iooks now and as he looked when he began the 

envelope business 

When in 1898 the Plimpton Mfg. Co. 
became one of the subsidiary divisions of the 
United States Envelope Co., Mr. Linus B. 
Plimpton was appointed Manager and James 
M. Plimpton, who had been with the company 
since 1872, was made the Assistant Manager, 
and later, on the death of Mr. L. B. Plimpton, 
Feb. 16, 1904, he was made Manager. 





1879 1921 

HARRY J. WOOD, Asst. Manager 
he looks now and as he looked when he began the 
envelope business 



31 



Mr. H.J. Wood, who was born in Worcester, 
Mass., Nov. 1, 1859, and who had been with 
the Company since 1879, was made Assistant 
Manager, December 3, 1904. 

Mr. H. Chapman Swain, 
who was born in North- 
East Harbor, Nova Scotia, 
on March 12, 1890, and 
who had been with the 
Morgan Envelope Co. Div. 
of the United States En- 
velope Company since Oc- 
tober, 1909, was appointed 
Assistant Superintendent 
under Mr. Roberts and has 
recently been appointed 
Superintendent. 

While this copy of the Red Envelope is 
being prepared the machinery and equip- 
ment is being transferred from the Pearl 
Street plant to the new home of the company 
on the corner of South Ann and Jewell 
Streets, fronting on Bushnell Park, one of 
the beauty spots of New England (see page 6) . 

JAMES LOGAN, 

General, Manaoer. 




H. CHAPMAN SWAIN 
Supt. 



32 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

Stye Sri> Enfolnp? 

January, 1922 Number 15 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In New York City 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

WOOLWORTH & GRAHAM 
New York City 

In July, 1916, the "G. M." had a conference 
with Mr. C. C. Woolworth of the firm of 
Woolworth & Graham, who commenced 
business in New York City as paper dealers 
in 1862 and did a large jobbing paper business 
in the years following. 

From 1868 to 1874 Mr. Woolworth was also 
in the school book publishing business in 
Boston (Woolworth, Ainsworth & Co.), and 
was one of the leaders in that department of 
business. 

Later Woolworth & Graham developed for 
the period a large export business in American 
papers. 

I asked Mr. Woolworth to turn back the 
pages in his book of memory and jot down 



his recollections of the conditions in those 
days of smaller things, and he has given me a 
most interesting story which I here reproduce, 
feeling sure it will have an interest for the 
readers of The Red Envelope : 

"181 West 75th St., 

"New York City, July 14, 1916. 

"James Logan, General Manager, 

"United States Envelope Company, 
"Worcester, Mass. 

"My dear Mr. Logan: 

"I was born in Homer, Cortland County, 
New York, Sept. 5, 1833. In 1848, when 
fifteen years of age, I left home and went to 
Buffalo, N. Y., where I worked in Danforth's 
Book Store which was located near Phinney 
& Co.'s, who were large book publishers, who 
had recently moved to Buffalo from Coopers- 
town, New York. In 1850 I began as a clerk 
in Hall, Mills & Co.'s Book Store, in Syracuse, 
and later became a member of the firm. We 
received imported stationery from J. K. 
Herrick & Co. of New York, which firm was 
connected with Thomas Rhodes & Sons, 
London, England, and the New York house 
(i. e. Herrick), included in one of their ship- 
ments to us some buff colored envelopes (what 
we would now call Manilla) quite like the 
sample pasted into No. 3 issue of The Red En- 
velope. They were put up in wrapping paper 
packages but there was no market for com- 
mercial use in Syracuse at that time and they 
were looked upon more as a novelty and 
curiosity. 



"In 1852, when nineteen years of age, I 
withdrew from the firm of Hall, Mills & Co., 
and commenced as a clerk with A. S. Barnes 
& Co., New York, Publishers and Wholesale 
Stationers, who later bought envelopes com- 
mercially of Hartshorn & Trumbull, Wor- 
cester, Mass. (now the W. H. Hill Env. Co. 
Div. of the United States Env. Co.), and 
among Barnes' customers was the firm of 
D. B. Cook & Co., of Chicago, 111., who made 
envelopes by hand on a small scale — that 
was in the early days of Chicago. 

"In 1856, when twenty-three years of age, 
I commenced to be my own employer at 
Omaha, Neb., which then had a population 
of about 1,200, the Indian land titles having 
been vacated the preceding year. There 
were only a few hundred white settlers west 
of Omaha till you reached Salt Lake City, 
Utah. The white population of Nebraska, 
then including both Dakotas, was only about 
3,000; Kansas City had less than 2,000 — 
now with its environs it has about 500,000; 
Chicago had less than 100,000 population 
(estimated at that time 84,113). 

"The population of Chicago, 111., in 1850, 
was 29,963; in 1860, 109,260; in 1910, 
2,185,283; in 1920, 2,701,212 (World 
Almanac, 1921). 

"From my Omaha foundation grew the 
branch stores at St. Joseph, Mo. (there our 
firm was Davis & Woolworth, Mr. Davis 
being the postmaster), Atchison, Kansas, and 
in 1859, Denver, Colo., where the Woolworth 
& Moffat enterprises outgrew all others (our 
activities were not confined to books and 




H?o--y-vm~ 




C. C. WOOLWORTH STORE AND HOME 

IN OMAHA, NEB., 1856 

16 x 20, at $25.00 per month rent 



stationery). When we opened up in Denver, 
Mr. Moffat, my partner, then a young man of 
twenty years of age, brought over the plains 
four wagon loads of books, stationery and 
other goods from Omaha, Neb., having 
driven one of the teams all the way himself, 
and was about forty days en route, reaching 
Denver, March 18, 1860. 

"When I was living in St. Joseph, Mo., I 
saw the first pony express start across the 
plains. I think it stopped at Sacramento or 
Colfax, California, the railroad having reached 
that point from San Francisco. 



"There was hot competition in delivering 
mails to California between the overland route 
and the sea route via Panama. My partner, 
W. A. Davis, Postmaster at St. Joseph, Mo., 
joined in the contest, went to Hannibal, Mo., 
over the Hannibal & St. Joseph R. R., then 
recently completed, and established arrange- 
ments for sorting the mail on the train for 
delivery to the stage lines immediately on its 
arrival at St. Joseph instead of as formerly 
sending the mail to the St. Joseph post office 
for sorting, and that was the beginning of the 
railway mail service. ' ' 

While never connected with the envelope 
business, a brief reference to David H. Moffat, 
Mr. Woolworth's partner, will not be out of 
place here and will certainly be of interest to 
readers of The Red Envelope, illustrating, 
as it does, the adventurous spirit of a boy of 
twenty years of age in those stirring times 
when a nation was being born. I quote from 
a letter from Mr. Woolworth dated Nov. 6, 
1921, supplemented by a letter from Mr. C. 
J. Lane, General Freight Agent of the Union 
Pacific Railroad System, Omaha, Neb., Nov. 
22, 1921, obtained for me through the courtesy 
of Carl R. Gray, President of the Union 
Pacific Railroad System: 

"Moffat was born in Washington ville, 
Orange County, N. Y., July 22, 1839 (of 
Scotch-Irish parentage). When twelve years 
of age he went to New York City and soon 
found work as a messenger in the Exchange 
Bank which later became, as it now is, the 
Irving National Bank, and when seventeen 
years of age he held the position of teller. 



In 1855 or 56 he went west and entered the 
banking house of Allen, Stevens & Co., Des 
Moines, la. 

"His brother, 'Sam' Moffat, was cashier 
and 'Dave' became his assistant, being book- 
keeper, paying teller, receiving teller, janitor 
and handy man generally. 

"Soon after reaching Des Moines, la., Mr. 
Benj. F. Allen, a prominent capitalist of that 
city, established at Omaha, Neb. (the Bank 
of Nebraska), in 1855 or 1856. 

"With 'Sam' Moffat as cashier and 'Dave' 
as his assistant, 'Dave' slept in the bank as I 
did in the store a few feet east. On Sam's 
retirement and his return east, 'Dave' suc- 
ceeded him as cashier. 

"The Bank was in a one-story brick build- 
ing on the south side of Farnham St., opposite 
what was afterward known as the Pioneer 
Block. The Bank was in one of the only three 
or four brick buildings in Omaha, where there 
were not enough buildings of any kind to form 
the outline of a street location. The Bank 
was two or three blocks east of the present 
location of the First National Bank and a 
little west of opposite the old Herndon House, 
afterward headquarters of the Union Pacific 
Railway. 'Dave' continued as cashier till 
1859. 

"During these strenuous years this banking 
house upheld the gold standard through the 
disastrous wildcat currency experiences of 
the late 50's. In 1858 Allen, Stevens & Co. 
sold their interests and retired from business. 



"Their successors, following the trend of 
the times, sent a lot of wildcat currency to 
young Moffat at Omaha to put in circulation. 
This he declined to do, returning the currency 
accompanied with his resignation as cashier. 

"Having burned his bridges, he then went 
down to St. Joseph, Mo., to talk matters over 
with Mr. Woolworth, with whom he had 
become acquainted. 

"After discussing with him his Omaha 
experiences I said, 'Dave, how would it do 
to start our business in Denver?' He promptly 
answered, 'All right, I'm ready,' and as quickly 
as I can write it our agreement to that end 
was concluded. Our friendship continued 
uninterruptedly and very friendly till his 
death in New York, March 18, 1911. 

"Moffat up to this time had never had any 
experience in merchandising — knew nothing 
about prices, etc., and the following story 
shows he was an apt scholar and that he didn't 
need any advice and besides he was too far 
away, especially in winter, to get any if he did 
need it. 

"One of his first experiences in Denver was 
with a customer who wanted to buy a quart 
of Arnold's ink and Moffat quoted him $12.00 
per quart, at which the customer demurred 
but Moffat, with a rather mild reservation, 
said, 'that is a fair price and if I go out to buy 
anything here I have to pay what seems to 
me a big price, besides, if I ask less you will 
buy all I've got and you will double your 
price to the next customer and no more ink 



can come in till the winter is over' — so the 
price was paid. 

"The Post Office was Established in our 
store and Mr. Moffat acted as the Post Master; 
and the men lined up in front of our store, 
shown in the illustration below, are waiting 
for their turn at the window for their mail. 




WOOLWORTH & MOFFAT SECOND STORE 
IN DENVER, COLO. 



This was the second building we occupied 
in Denver, Colo. The first building was much 
more primitive. 

"We established a branch in the Bannock 
Mines, now Helena, Mont. As railroads 



opened up through the country competition 
made merchandising less attractive and we 
gradually withdrew. Moffat remained at 
Denver and in the late 60's he became inter- 
ested in railroad development and eventually 
became the leading mining, banking and 
railroad capitalist of Colorado." 

Mr. C. J. Lane, of Omaha, Neb., suggested 
the following detail: 

"The then Denver Pacific Ry. was in- 
corporated in Nov., 1867, and completed to 
Cheyenne, Wyo., on June 23, 1870. 

"The Kansas City-Denver line was com- 
pleted in August of the same year. 

"The Colorado Central Ry., which con- 
nected Denver with Golden City, was com- 
pleted in Oct., 1870. 

"The Denver & Rio Grande R. R. was 
opened to Colorado Springs for freight and 
passenger traffic Oct. 23, 1871. 

"The Florence & Cripple Creek Ry. was 
completed in 1894, which was the first line 
into the gold camp. 

"With all or most of the above Mr. Moffat 
was directly or indirectly connected. The 
prominent part Mr. Moffat played in finan- 
cing the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific 
Ry. (now the Denver & Salt Lake R. R.) 
is of too recent record to need mentioning. 

"Mr. Moffat was organizer of the company 
that built the railroad from Denver to Chey- 
enne, connecting with the Union Pacific R. R., 
and in 1870 a locomotive, christened David 
li 



H. Moffat, steamed into Denver, thus putting 
the town on the map. 

"He also built the Denver and South Park 
R. R., 150 miles long to Leadville, as well as 
the railroad from Del Norte to Creede, and 
also the Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad. 
In 1885 he was made the President of the 
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad but resigned 
in 1891. He was sixty- three years old when 
he planned the Moffat road (now the Denver 
& Salt Lake R. R.). He died in New York 
March 18, 1911, aged seventy-two years. 

"Mr. Moffat was Adjutant General of 
Colorado in 1864, when twenty-five years of 
age. 

"He was the first cashier of the First 
National Bank in Denver in 1867. 

"He terminated his connection with Mr. 
Wool worth in 1870 and then, associated with 
Gov. John Evans, he turned his attention to 
railway construction, beginning with the 
Denver & Pacific R. R. referred to above. 

"He was the territorial treasurer of Colorado 
in 1874 and still later was associated with Gov. 
Evans in building the Denver and South 
Platte Railway." 

The medium of exchange in those days was 
gold dust taken at a figure that would leave a 
further profit when sold to the government 
for coining. Mr. C. J. Lane of Omaha, Neb., 
to whom I am indebted for much of this de- 
tail regarding Mr. Moffat's connection with 
the development of Colorado, says he has 

12 



drawn freely from the biography of Mr. 
Moffat in Smiley's history of Colorado, 
published in 1913, vol. 2, page 457. 

"Here he (Moffat) found the rugged little 
village of log houses and a pioneer settlement 
of several thousand people, principally miners 
and prospectors whose rendezvous at the 
junction of Cherry Creek and the Platte 
became the foundation of the Denver of 
today. The Denver Town Company was 
incorporated in 1858 and the first schoolhouse 
was built at Boulder, Colo., in 1860." (Mr. 
Woolworth now continues:) 

"I returned east, organized the firm of 
Woolworth & Graham in 1862, and until its 
retirement a few years ago (1907) it was the 
oldest unchanged name in 
the paper business in New 
York. 

"My partner, Mr. John 
S. Graham, was born in 
New York City, Feb. 12, 
1837. Like myself, Mr. 
Graham had served an ap- 
prenticeship as salesman 
and buyer with A. S. 
Barnes & Co., publishers 
and wholesale stationers, 
in New York City. 

"Their business also in- 
cluded the selling of envelopes and it was this 
fact which turned our attention to their manu- 
facture. 

"When we commenced in the envelope 
business we first bought paper mainly from 

13 




Calvin C. Woolworth 

1870 

3 7 years of age 



the Parsons Paper Co., 
Holyoke, Mass., and had 
it made into envelopes by 
White & Corbin, Rockville, 
Conn., and McSpedon & 
Baker, afterwards McSpe- 
don & Robbins, of New 
York City. 

"McSpedon & Robbins 
operated six Cotton en- 
velope folding machines 
which Wool worth & Gra- 31 yea rVof age 

ham finally bought in 1866 
and operated the factory at 51 Ann St. with 
an office and salesroom on John St. 




John S. Grahar 
1868 




Photograph of Patent Office Model of 
W. W. Cotton Envelope Folding Machine 14,625. April 8,1856 

14 



"My first recollections of the envelope in- 
dustry in New York on an important scale 
was that of J. Q. Preble and Lyon & Raynor. 
Preble had come from Worcester, Mass., 
where as a manufacturing stationer he had 
made a success with embossed note paper and 
embossed envelopes to match, a novelty for 
ladies' use. This was long before half-sheet 
writing papers were introduced. 

"Samuel Raynor had a successful book and 
stationery store at 76 Bowery, where the east 
side was an attractive residence section down 
to the East River. He was a man of the high- 
est character for integrity and had the un- 
limited confidence of all who knew him. After 
a few years of life the firm of Lyon and Raynor 
dissolved and Raynor moved from the 
former Beekman Street location to William 
Street and John Street, continuing there 
until his death and the business succession 
you are probably familiar with. 

"Samuel Raynor was the kind of a man 
whose character could secure a million of J. 
Pierpont Morgan's money, if he hadn't a 
dollar of his own. 

"My recollection about envelope machines, 
the Cotton, Duff & Keating, Puffer, White 
& Corbin, Reay, are that the Puffer machine 
made fine goods but probably the Reay was 
the fastest machine. I believe Duff & Keating 
built the Cotton machines. Cotton was the 
foreman in the factory of Samuel Raynor.* 



*The development of the fir;n of Samuel Raynor & Co. 
will form a chapter in a future number of the Red Envelope. 



"The government stamped envelope is a 
part of the early history of envelopes. Geo. 
F. Nesbitt & Co. had the first contract and 
for many years to 1870. The paper was made 
by Seymour Paper Co., Windsor Locks, Conn. 

"Nesbitt & Co. were stationers in Pearl or 
Water St., near to Wall, for many years. I 
think Reay was the successor to the Nesbitt 
contract. 

"Yours truly, 

"C. C. WOOLWORTH." 

In 1874, after losing the government con- 
tract for making stamped envelopes, Geo. H. 
Reay, on Nov. 10, assigned, John S. Graham, 
of Wool worth & Graham, being appointed 
receiver. 

The conditions finally accepted on Jan. 22, 
1875, by Mr. Reay's creditors was 50% in 
full settlement and the business was turned 
over to Reay* to operate; but Mr. Graham, as 
Receiver, was not released until Oct. 23, 1875. 

In the 60's Woolworth & Graham were 
the . Treasurer and Manager of the Sales 
Department of the Estabrook Steel Pen Co. 
The Estabrooks, father and son, English 
Quakers, came to this country and began 
their competition with Joseph Gillot Steel 
Pen manufacturers of England, and after a 
long, hard, struggle they were finally success- 
ful in securing the American market. 



*The story of Geo. H. Reay and his great contribution 
to the envelope industry will be treated fully in a future 
number of the Red Envelope. 

16 



While not an envelope proposition, yet 
closely connected with it, we note as an inter- 
esting fact that C. C. Wool worth secured the 
contract for making postal cards for the U. S. 
Government, running from July 1, 1881, to 
July 1, 1885, the price being $0.5443 per M. 
cards. He developed machinery which took 
the paper in the roll, printed, cut, counted and 
banded them in packages of twenty-five 
cards. 

The second contract, running from July 1, 
1885, to July 1, 1889, was awarded to C. C. 
Woolworth of New York, at $0.4771 per M. 
The third contract, from July 1, 1889, to Dec. 
1, 1893, was awarded to Albert Dagget, Bir- 
mingham, Ct., at $0.3500 per M. The 
fourth contract, from Jan. 1, 1894, to Dec. 
31, 1899, was awarded to C. C. Woolworth, 
of Castleton, New York, at $0.3287 per M. 
for the single cards and $0.6574 for the double 
cards. 





C. C. Woolworth 

1921 

His next will be his 90th 

birthday 



John S. Graham 

1917 
80 years of age 



Woolworth & Graham retired from the 
envelope business in 1869, selling their plant 
to a man named Brown, whose identity has 
with the passing of the years been lost. Both 
Mr. Woolworth and Mr. Graham are still 
living and, for men of their years, in fine 
physical condition, enjoying the gloaming of 
well-ordered lives. 

JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manages, 



18 



CHAPTER IX 

THOMAS MC SPEDON, 

MC SPEDON & BAKER, 

MC SPEDON & ROBBINS 




Thomas McSpedon 



Among the first manu- 
facturers of machine-made 
envelopes in New York 
City was the firm of 
McSpedon & Baker, later 
McSpedon & Robbins. 
Thomas McSpedon's name 
first appears in the New 
York City Directory in 
1839 as a bookbinder at 
1 Pine Street. He con- 
tinued there until 1845, 
when the firm name of 
McSpedon & Baker appears as stationers at 
23-25 Pine St. They were at that location 
from 1846 to 1856. In 1856 their name ap- 
pears as blank book and envelope manufac- 
turers at 29-33 Beekman St. In 1863 they 
moved to 51 Ann St. and in 1866 the firm 
name was changed to McSpedon & Robbins, 
who are given simply as manufacturers of 
envelopes. 

At one of these locations (it is now not 
known which) one of their neighbors was the 



poet, William Cullen Bryant, who took a 
lively interest in the success of the young men, 
and a friendship resulted which lasted through 
life. 

Mr. McSpedon was born in Hestor St., New 
York City, of Scottish parents, Aug. 9, 1817, 
and died Sept. 3, 1889. 

Mr. Charles Baker was born in New York 
and died in New York City in 1903. 

They were in business together over twenty 
years, the partnership having been dissolved 
in 1866. 

Mr. McSpedon was a member of the Board 
of Aldermen in New York City 1856-7-8-9-60 
and in 1859-60 he was President of the 
Board. He was also for many years a member 
of the Board of Education and was a man who 
counted for something in the life of the city. 

At one time McSpedon & Baker were the 
New York City printers and stationers besides 
doing a large commercial business. Later 
they established a branch at 402 D St., Wash- 
ington, D. C, having large contracts with the 
government. Their name first appears in 
the Washington City Directory in 1855. It 
was a natural evolution to add to their 
kindred lines of business the manufacture of 
envelopes first by hand and then by ma- 
chinery. 

Mr. Henry C. Berlin told the "G. M." that 
McSpedon & Baker operated machines built 
by a man named W. W. Cotton, to whom a 
patent for an envelope-folding machine was 



granted April 8, 1856, being No. 14,625 [see 
page 14 in Woolworth & Graham record], this 
being the fifth patent granted for an envelope 
machine in the United States. 

Mr. Cotton was certainly one of the pio- 
neers, for his patent was granted three years 
before the Duff & Keating patent in 1859, 
and seven years before the patent was granted 
to Geo. H. Reay in 1863. 

Mr. Cotton was at one time foreman for 
Samuel Raynor, when he was operating _ his 
plant at the corner of John and William 
Streets. 




Patent Office Drawing of 

W. W. Cotton's Envelope Machine, Patent No. 14,625 

April 8, 1856 



Mr. F. C. Graves, who died in 1910, after 
forty years of service with the Plimpton Mfg. 

21 



Co., Hartford, Conn., and who prior to that 
worked for Geo. H. Reay, installing his en- 
velope-folding machines, told the "G. M." 
that Mr. Cotton, he believed, was an English- 
man, and that he enlisted during the Civil 
War and died in the service. Mr. Graves was 
also under the impression that while there 
were quite a number of different types of crude 
envelope-folding machines in use by different 
firms in New York, worked by foot power, he 
believed the Cotton envelope-folding machine 
was the first power envelope machine used in 
New York. 

The Cotton machine was provided with a 
counter. This was a tin box divided into 
compartments, into which the envelopes were 
discharged from the folding box. When 
twenty-five envelopes had been dropped into 
one of the compartments a ratchet moved the 
box to present another compartment to 
receive the next bunch. But this counting 
mechanism had little value, for it counted 
not completed perfect envelopes, but revolu- 
tions of the machine, so that when the machine 
made waste, as it did most of the time, the 
count in the boxes was wrong. But this was 
one of the forerunners of present counting 
mechanisms. 

In 1866 they sold their envelope machine 
plant, consisting of six Cotton machines, to 
Woolworth & Graham, who continued to 
operate the factory at 51 Ann St., with offices 
and sales rooms on John St. 



CHAPTER X 

GENERAL DANIEL E. SICKLES 

(Story of helping Nancy 
to escape from slavery) 

Following the often almost obliterated trail 
of some of the early pioneers in the envelope 
industry, both from the mechanical and 
commercial sides of the business, has called for 
a large amount of time and much correspond- 
ence on the part of the "G. M." but there have 
been compensations for the time and effort 
expended. 

It has given to the "G. M.," and he hopes to 
all those who have followed the "Story of the 
Envelope," a greater appreciation of the 
service these pioneers rendered to the men 
and women connected with the business today. 
These men blazed the way into the unknown 
and made our problems easier and they are 
silent partners with us in this splendid 
industry today. 

Following some of these trails has renewed 
friendships which the passing of the years and 
the daily burden had crowded to one side. 
Some of the trails have led into pleasant by- 
paths — experiences have been had and new 
friendships have been formed that are worth 
while and are to be counted among the assets 
of life. 



One such pleasant by-path was developed 
in 1904, when trying to follow the trail of 
McSpedon & Baker, probably the first makers 
of machine-made envelopes in New York City. 

It was suggested by someone that perhaps 
General Daniel E. Sickles could give me some 
information about this firm, so having made 
an appointment for an interview, I called at 
his residence on Lower Fifth Avenue, New 
York City. I was shown into the reception 
room and asked to be seated and told the 
General would see me presently. Being a 
late riser, he was just finishing his breakfast. 
In due time I heard the fall of his crutches, as 
the old veteran, who lost a leg at Gettysburg, 
came through the corridor from the breakfast 
room. 

I made known my errand and asked if he 
could call to mind the New York firm of 
McSpedon & Baker, printers, who in the 
early 40's made envelopes by hand before the 
day of machine-made envelopes. As he turned 
back the leaves in the book of memory the 
names finally came to him and he said : "Yes, 
I distinctly remember Mr. McSpedon, who 
was a printer by trade. He was of Scottish 
extraction — he was quite a man — independ- 
ent and forceful — a good deal of a politician 
of the better type." If his memory was not 
at fault, he said, he thought McSpedon was an 
Alderman in New York in the late 50' s. This 
proved to be correct; he was an Alderman 
from 1856 to 1860 inclusive, being Chairman 
of the Board in 1859 and 1860, in those strenu- 
ous years just preceding the Civil War. After 
further reflection he said he was of the opinion 

24 



that it was about the year 1844 that he first 
knew him and he thought at one time he had 
associated with him a man named Baker. 

This all came back to him more easily be- 
cause he himself in early life had been a 
printer, and, therefore, had an acquaintance 
with the other members of the craft. He could 
tell me nothing about him or his firm as en- 
velope makers. He could remember him only 
as a printer. 

As he called up the years of the past, the 
fire of youth returned as his seventy-nine 
years of life was passing in review and he 
emphasized what he was saying by pounding 
the floor with his crutch, while a stream of 
oaths flowed forth that was artistic and as 
the stream flowed on, gathering momentum 
each minute, his talk did not strike me as 
being profane. It seemed simply a part of his 
vocabulary and did not seem out of place. 
Now let him tell the story : 

"How these things come back to me — 
experiences which I had in those early days 
and of which I have not thought for the life- 
time of most men. This man McSpedon did 
quite a business with the government and 
part of the time lived in Washington, D. C. 
When I was elected to Congress in 1857 I was 
only thirty- two years of age and I think I was 
one of the youngest, if not the youngest man 
in the House, and having known McSpedon 
in New York I very naturally got in touch 
with him when I went to the Capitol. 

"Washington was not then the city that it 
now is. In those days there was not a paved 



street in the city — nothing but mud roads — 
and such mud! The life of a Congressman 
was not then what it is now and Washington 
society for a Northern Congressman, partic- 
ularly so young a man, without wealth or 
influence, did not count for very much, 
though for the Southern Congressman, society 
counted for a great deal. 

"As a Congressman I had very humble quar- 
ters. I hired Mrs. McSpedon's front room 
and took my meals at a restaurant. Those 
years preceding the war were hot times in 
politics and many men did not always dare 
to say all they had in their minds. 

"My God, how I remember some of those 
experiences! One day I came back to my 
room from the Capitol and found Mrs. 
McSpedon standing in the front hall in tears, 
while black Nancy, the cook, was standing 
in the hall crying, half hidden by the door 
which led into the kitchen, while standing 
at the foot of the stairs was a big bully, who 
probably weighed 250 pounds, who had evi- 
dently been having his say before I appeared 
on the scene. 

"I did not know what it all meant and I 
said to Mrs. McSpedon, 'What is the trouble, 
Mrs. McSpedon, can I be of any assistance 
to you?' 

"It appeared that black Nancy, the cook, 
was owned by a slaveholder over on the 
Virginia side of the Potomac and he had sold 
her to a man in New Orleans; and this man 
had come after her, and he was going to take 
her with him and was not willing to allow her 

26 



to go over to her Virginia cabin to bid goodbye 
to her husband and four little babies, from 
whom she was to be parted forever. 

"I said to the man, 'Why can't you allow 
Nancy to go over and see her babies before 
you take her away?' And at that he boiled 
over at me and ordered me to mind my own 
damned business or there would be trouble 
for me. 

"Now, while I was a tall young man, up to 
this time I had not begun to fill out very much 
and was on the whole rather slight. I kept 
my temper and simply said, 'I asked you a 
gentlemanly question and thought I was 
entitled to a gentlemanly answer,' which 
brought from the man another explosion of 
oaths and abuse and a second suggestion that 
I mind my own damned business. 

"I passed on up the stairs to my room but 
I don't think I ever did more thinking in the 
same number of minutes in my life. 

"I had always known of and recognized 
slavery as an institution but, my God! I was 
up against it now in all its blackness, and I 
saw its awfulness as never before; and during 
those few minutes, not more than two minutes, 
I made up my mind to fight it. What the 
effect was to be for me — a Democratic 
Congressman from New York, taking up on 
the side of a black negro wench, never came 
into my mind for a minute. 

"I opened the drawer in my bureau, took 
out my revolver and going to the head of the 
stairs, I pointed it at the slave-driving bully, 

27 



at the bottom of the stairs, at the same time 
calling on him to throw up his hands, which 
he did without any ceremony. 

"I then said, as I was coming down the 
stairs, 'Have you got any papers for this 
woman?' And he had to acknowledge that 
he had not. And then it was my turn. My 
temper was getting away from me and I let 
out a volley of oaths at him that made his 
speech look like as if he had been speaking a 
Sunday School piece and I told him to get out 
of the house and if he didn't I would fill his 
dirty carcass full of lead; and still holding 
his hands up, I backed him out on the side- 
walk and then I told him to get, and he did. 
He evidently started to get his papers. I 
then said to Mrs. McSpedon, 'We must get 
rid of Nancy,' and I asked Mrs. McSpedon 
how much money she had, and after counting 
her money she said she had three dollars. I 
found that I had just ten dollars with me, so 
we took Nancy out into the kitchen and 
while Mrs. McSpedon got out a suit of her 
husband's old cloths, I used the shears on 
black Nancy's hair and in about ten minutes 
we had a pretty likely looking coon in the 
kitchen. Then I told Mrs. McSpedon to get 
a basket and get some food into it, and while 
she was doing that I went up to my room and 
wrote a letter to a friend in Baltimore whom 
I could trust and to another in Philadelphia, 
asking them each to help this good darkey 
for my sake and not to ask any questions just 
now, but just trust me for the present. Then 
I gave Nancy the thirteen dollars, told her to 
keep in the country and away from people 

28 



as much as possible, but to work her way up 
to this friend of mine in Baltimore and he 
would help her on to Philadelphia and then 
to New York, where she would be safe, and as 
she had food enough she would not need to 
ask for anything to eat till after she got 
beyond Philadelphia. 

"In about two hours the slave driver re- 
turned with the necessary papers to take 
Nancy, but the bird had flown and once more 
we had the torrent of abuse and profanity at 
which we only laughed." 

The old General then relaxed — the tension 
was gone, and he added, "And Nancy got 
away and in about a couple of years I got her 
husband and all her four babies up here and 
she and her husband lived and died here in 
New York within a dozen squares of my home, 
where we are now sitting." 

JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager. 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

March, 1922 Number 16 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In Springfield, Mass. 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 




HARRISON AVENUE FACTORY, 1921 

E. Morgan & Co. 1864 
Morgan Envelope Co. 1870 
Morgan Env. Co. Div. 1898 



CHAPTER XI 

Elisha Morgan, the moving spirit of the 
Morgan Envelope Co., was born in North- 
field, Mass., Sept. 7, 1833. His ancestors 
are traced back to the 16th century. Three 
brothers by the name of Morgan emigrated 
with the Massachusetts Bay Co. in 1636. 



Mr. Morgan was descended from one of these 
brothers, Captain Miles Morgan. 

On the site of Capt. Miles Morgan's home, 
or very near it on Cypress Street, Spring- 
field, Mass., there has been erected the build- 
ing occupied by the United States Envelope 
Company's General Offices and its P. P. 
Kellogg & Co., Morgan Fine Stationery, 
Morgan Tissue Divisions, and on this build- 
ing the Connecticut Valley Historical Society 
has placed a bronze tablet with the following 
inscription : 




Mr. Morgan's father was a well-to-do mer- 
chant in the town of Northfield, Mass., and 
his son had the advantage of good schooling. 



In his youth Mr. Morgan worked in his 
father's store, getting valuable business ex- 
perience. 

On leaving home when sixteen years of age 
he found employment for two years in a store 
in Greenfield, Mass., then he became a clerk 
in the office of the Connecticut River R. R. 
Co. at Greenfield, later being transferred to 
Holyoke, Mass., and at the age of 21 was 
paymaster of the company. At 23 years of 
age he was made general freight agent and 
two years later became general ticket agent, 
which position he held till 1864 when he was 
29 years of age. He resigned a sure thing in 
the railroad business to take the uncertainty 
of a new business, what would now be called 
an infant industry. 

In the story of the beginnings of the White, 
Corbin Co. Div. at Rockville, Conn., Red 
Envelope No. 12, Chapter VI, page 20-21, 
reference is made to the firm of Shelton & 
Andross, which made boxes for the Thread 
Co., the Silk Co., and the Envelope Co. in 
the Glasgow Mill on Brooklyn St. in Rockville, 
Conn. 

This firm in 1863 bought four Reay ma- 
chines and under the name of the Rockville 
Env. Co. began the manufacture of envelopes. 
The venture was not a success and in 1864 
they sold their plant and equipment to Mr. 
Elisha Morgan of Springfield, Mass., who had 
been the general ticket agent of the Conn. 
River R. R. Co. He at once moved the ma- 
chinery to Springfield, Mass., and associated 
with him Mr. Chester W. Chapin of Spring- 
field, Mass., President of the Boston & 




Elisha Morgan 
In the late 60's 



Albany R. R., and other 
Springfield men, and 
changed the name to E. 
Morgan & Co. [See Red 
Envelope No. 12, Chap- 
ter VI, pp. 20-21.] 

In 1916 the "G. M." 

asked Mr. Slater to write 
for him the story of his 
connections with the en- 
velope business, which he 
kindly consented to do, 
and below is given his story in his own words : 

"Springfield, Mass., 

"Jan. 30, 1916. 

"Mr. James Logan, General Manager, 
"United States Envelope Co., 
"Worcester, Mass. 

"My Dear Mr. Logan: 

"I have been more than fifty years with 
the Morgan Env. Co. I was born Nov. 17, 
1839, in West Stockbridge, 
Berkshire County, Mass. 
When 16 years old I began 
to learn the trade of a 
machinist, starting as an 
apprentice with the Thos. 
H. Spencer Co., general 
machinists and builders of 
machinery. I had a hand 
in the construction of many 
kinds of machines, but 
there was nothing resem- 
bling an envelope machine 
in the lot. 




Wm. D. Slater 
When 18 years of age 



"After learning my trade I first took a 
position in the New York & New Haven R. 
R. shops at New Haven, remaining there till 
1860. When 21 years of age I went to Holyoke 
and entered the employ of the Whiting 
Machine Co. Soon after going there I became 
acquainted with Mr. Cyrus L. Frink, who was 
about to start the manufacturing of envelopes 
in Holyoke, Mass. 

"In 1862 he engaged me to take charge of 
the mechanical end of the business. The 
factory was located in the Parsons Paper Co. 
mill, the first building below the Holyoke dam. 




DUFF & KEATING, Patented Feb. 1, 1859 
[From an old advertisement] 



"Our equipment consisted of four Duff & 
Keating machines, making five and six size 
envelopes. Each machine required two 
operators, one girl to feed and another to 



pick up and band the goods. These machines 
were very crude and simple. The plunger, 
creasing box and folding block were about 
like those used now and they operated as 
they do at present on many machines. The 
folding block was covered with rubber packing 
an eighth of an inch thick. The bottom edges 
of the plunger were sharp and as the blanks 
were conveyed under the plunger it pressed 
them down and creased them. (Sometimes 
they folded on the creases and sometimes they 
didn't.) After they were folded the block 
dropped to allow the envelope to fall onto a 
table where they were picked up one by one, 
counted, banded and boxed. 

"Some of them were pretty good, too, at any 
rate they were good judged by the standards 
of the time. I wouldn't say, though, that 
we should be satisfied with such work today. 
The blanks were, of course, gummed by hand. 
Production for the whole outfit of four 
machines was from 35,000 to 38,000 in 10 
hours — if we had good luck. 

"After about two years Mr. Frink sold his 
business to Taylor & Mossman and I went to 
New York City with the J. R. Hawley Pub. 
Co. on William St. Here I found a little 
later type of the Duff & Keating machines. 
While they were an improvement on the 
earlier model, requiring only one operator, 
they were not self-gummers. Their plant 
consisted of two machines. The Duff & 
Keating machines which they were operating 
were something new at that time. The gum 
box, 8" x 4" xl" deep was divided into two 
compartments — one of them contained gum 



and the other a sponge. The separating par- 
tition in the gum box was perforated, allow- 
ing the gum to percolate through and moisten 
the sponge. The gum box was supported on 
ways just over the carriers. As the picker 
went to its highest point the gum box slid 
under and a depression in the cam allowed 
the picker to drop and hit on the sponge, 
then rising again, which allowed the gum box 
to return to its original position. The picker 
would then drop onto the pile of flat blanks, 
pick up the top one and deliver it to the car- 
riers. 

"In 1864 Elisha Morgan bought four Reay 
machines of William W. Andross (Shelton & 
Andross,) (Rockville Env. Co.,) of Rockville, 
Conn., and engaged me to run them. 




J. M. D. KEATING 

Patent No. 39,053, June 30, 1863 
[From an old advertisement] 



"Soon after I went to New York Mr. 
Morgan called on me where I was working 
for the J. R. Hawley Pub. Co., William St., 
under very unfavorable conditions and dis- 
heartening surroundings. When Mr. Morgan 
called he simply said, 'Do you like to work 
here?' I replied, 'I do not.' Mr. Morgan 
said, 'Do you want to come back to Spring- 
field to work for me?' and I said, 'Yes,' and 
Mr. Morgan said, 'All right, come on as soon 




THE FIRST HOME OF THE MORGAN ENV. CO. 

Leet Building, Hillman St. 

as you can.' The transaction was opened, 
continued and closed in less than five min- 
utes. Hours and wages were not mentioned 
and so I began an engagement which has 
practically lasted through life. 

"I went to Rockville and ran the machines 
there for a few weeks, then we brought the ma- 

10 



chinery to Springfield. We were first located 
in the Leet Building on the corner of Dwight 
and Hillman Streets on the site where now 
stands the Germona Bldg. At that time I was 
superintendent, cutter, adjuster, machinist, 
and when these duties left me leisure, I helped 
Mr. Morgan pack the goods. Soon after the 
small plant of four Reay machines, cutting 
press, etc., had been moved to Springfield and 
I was getting the plant in operation, I broke 
the bone in one of my legs, but business could 
not be stopped for so trivial a thing as a 
broken leg, so old Dr. Breck fixed me up with 
splints, etc., and each morning Mr. Morgan 
came to my boarding house with an old hack, 
carried me to the hack and when we reached 
the factory (this being before the day of 
elevators) I would crawl up onto Mr. Mor- 
gan's back and he 'pigbacked' me up to the 
room on the second floor, and all. day long I 
hobbled round with a crutch and at night Mr. 
Morgan 'pigbacked' me home again, and I 
was never off duty a single day on account of 
the accident. 

"Before long, however, we added not only 
more help but three more Reay machines 
which made special sizes for which there was 
a limited demand. 

"These Reay machines (by the way, one 
of them is still in commission — kept in com- 
mission largely as a matter of sentiment) [See 
Fig. A], as it binds the past to the present. 
It is running at the present time at the 
Morgan Env. Co. on a special size envelope 
for which there is a very limited demand. 

"The Reay machines were not self-gum- 

11 



mers but they made better envelopes than 
the Duff & Keating machines. 

"The production was about 2,500 per hour 
and they required but one girl to operate 
them. The earliest of these machines made 
commercials 3, 4, 5 and 6, but before long we 
added a 9 and 10 official. 





I^HriREft* 






Mil , '^ 


^ 


I,J 






1 "Sattltt 




J 





Fig. A 

Photograph of one of the Morgan Env. Co.'s 

original Reay machines 



"About 1869 the business which had grown 
steadily was moved from Hillman St. to Tay- 
lor St. In 1873 the business was again moved 
into the new building erected by Emerson 
Wight on Worthington St. The box shop 
was left in the old building and was run by 

12 



Seymour Bros. Additional room was ac- 
quired in the adjacent building, corner Main 
& Worthington Sts., where was located on 
the top floor a Finishing Department for 
folding and ruling papers. Up to this time 
the paper mills had not added the folding and 
ruling of paper. They were simply paper 
makers and the finishing of papers was a 
separate business. The envelope business 
was finally crowded out of the Worthington 
St. building and located on the third floor 
of the same building as the Finishing Depart- 
ment, corner Main and Worthington Sts. 

"More Reay machines were added and 
some years later a machine built by Lester & 




Serlin & Jones Env. Co. "Seal Flap Gumming and 

Folding Envelope Machine" 

Built by Lester & Wasley, Norwich, Conn. 

13 



Wasley of Norwich, Conn., under license from 
Berlin & Jones Env. Co. of New York, was 
purchased. This was the first self-gummer 
which we had. While this was in some re- 
spects a decided improvement on the Reay, 
when we came to run it I found a good many 
particulars in which it could be improved. 

"Mr. Lester used to come to see us fre- 
quently and he noted very carefully the sug- 
gestions I made and the improvements I had 
installed on the machine. Later embodying 
these changes in a new model he brought 
out the ' Leader' machine, for which I feel that 
I am partly responsible. The development 
of this machine will be more fully described 
in a future issue of the Red Envelope dealing 
with the development of Lester & Wasley, 
Norwich, Conn. 

First Postal Card Contract 

"In 1873 the Government for the first time 
issued postal cards and to the Morgan Env. 
Co. was awarded the first 
contract. The early postal 
cards were printed with an 
artistic design, consisting 
in part of a scroll-work bor- 
der in a rich brown ink. 
We found it very hard to 
match the shade of ink ex- 
actly, and were unable to 
get our best efforts past 
the inspector. We had the 
best talent we could secure, 
but there was no time to 
be lost and we were work- 
ing nights as well as Sundays. Finally, one 




Wm. D, Slater 
In the early 70's 



evening we seemed to have succeeded in get- 
ting an exact match, so we kept the Hoe 
Printing Press we had bought for the work 
doing all it could all night, but 'by the dawn's 
early light' we found our gaslight brown a 
daylight purple. At last, however, the diffi- 
culty was overcome, and prejudice aside, I 
think we made better postal cards than have 
ever been made by any later contractors. 

"It was while we were located in the 
Main and Worthington St. Building that the 
manufacture of Papeteries was started, Mr. 
Morgan being a pioneer in that line. This 




HARRISON AVE. PLANT, 1883 
15 



line, with the satisfactory growth of the en- 
velope business, made it necessary for us to 
have more room. 

"It was during the 70' s that we began to 
make our own paper boxes, which before 
that time we had bought from an outside 
box maker. So in 1882 the present main 
building of the Morgan Env. Co. on Harrison 
Ave. was started. Mr. Morgan said once, 
when he showed me the plans, 'We will let 
the two upper stories,' but they were never 
let and in August, 1883, when we moved in 
we found no more room that we needed. In 
fact, it was not many years before the west 
wing was added, increasing the floor space 
more than 50%. 

"About 1885 the manu- 
facture of toilet paper 
was added, the first spe- 
cialty being the 'King' 
toilet paper. When we 
acquired this patent the 
only machine which had 
ever been made was a 
crude wooden affair. I 
found that this could be 
much improved in a 
number of ways and 
the machines which we 
built to produce this 
line were not more than 
second cousins of the so- 
called model. Not only 
the machines for the 'King' but all the rest 
of the Tissue machinery for manufacturing 
the Pyramid and Springfield Oval and the 

16 




1 



The King Toilet Fixture 




Springfield 
Oval Toilet Fixture 



round rolls — have been made in our own 
machine shops. 

"In the Harrison Ave. 
factory in 1883 we first 
made envelope machines of 
our own. 

"The first 'Slater' ma- 
chine was a Portfolio 8 
(6j^xl0), built to make 
Speech envelopes on a gov- 
ernment contract, this 
being the first order placed 
by the Government for 
printed envelopes (other 
than stamped envelopes) , 
the order being secured by 
Mr. Wm. 0. Day, the pres- 
ent Treasurer of the United 
States Envelope Co. 

"Although that was thirty years ago, our 
National law makers then enjoyed sending 
envelopes full of eloquence to grateful con- 
stituents as well as they do now. Anyway, 
this machine has had a busy career ever since 
and I understand that it is kept humming all 
the time at present. The new Slater ma- 
chines are much like this first model though 
smoothed up in operation and capable of 
higher speed. When the Portfolio machine 
and a small Commercial of the same model 
had been built and proved, Mr. Morgan said : 
'Well, we will build one more Commercial 
and then we won't make any more.' 

"That will give us machinery enough to 
meet the demand. Since then we have built 



up to the present time more than a hundred 
other machines, each being modeled on a 
preceding machine. 




Slater Envelope Machine, 1921 
Front view 



"In 1874 the United States Stamped En- 
velope Co., Hartford, Conn., was formed and 
began work on their first government con- 
tract for making stamped envelopes. At first 
the flats were printed and embossed on the 
Allen Rotary Printing Press, nicknamed 'The 
Jumper,' then sealed and then folded. Un- 
preparedness is not exclusively a modern con- 
dition. We were suffering from a bad case 
of it when, with Plimpton Mfg. Co., we 
took over the manufacture of the govern- 




Slater Envelope Machine, 1921 
Side view 



ment stamped envelopes and when it was 
time for the first delivery to Uncle Sam we 
were not ready. The Plimpton Mfg. Co. at 
Hartford was working as hard as possible and 
we at the Morgan Env. Co. plant at Spring- 
field were adapting four or five Reay machines 
to the Government's needs. When completed 
we took them to Hartford and we also took 
with us some trained envelope girl operators. 
The machines got to Hartford the latter part 
of one week and the contract required that 
we should have envelopes to ship the follow- 
ing Monday. So Mr. Wickham and I kept 
at them through Saturday, Saturday night 
and Sunday and they were ready to make 
envelopes when Monday morning came. 




Allen Rotary Printing Press 
"The Jumper" 



"Later, however, H. J. Wickham, of the 
Plimpton Mfg. Co., Hartford, Conn., invented 
a combination printing and folding envelope 
machine, grafting a gumming device on the 
front of the embossing machine and a folding 
machine on the rear of it, so that the blanks 
were gummed, printed, embossed, folded 
and counted at the same time. 

"This machine is known as the Wickham 
Printer and Folder. (The development of 
this machine has been fully described in No. 
14 Red Envelope.) 




Horace John Wickham Envelope Printing and Folding Machine 
Side view 



"From this time on until the organization 
of the United States Envelope Co. in 1898, 
the growth of the Morgan Env. Co. was 
steady and satisfying. Output was increased 
and machines were gradually improved but 
the more recent years were less picturesque 
and less historically interesting. 



'Yours truly, 

"Wm. D. Slater. 5 



21 



Mr. Slater, with his characteristic modesty, 
says little about his particular work, but it 
ought to be a part of the record that during 
all of these years he was the mechanical 
genius who developed the machinery for 
the envelope-folding department, the pape- 
terie department and the toilet paper depart- 
ment of the Morgan Env. Co. A more 
recent development in the envelope industry 




The ''Outlook," or "Window" Envelope 



is the "Outlook" or Window envelope and to 
Mr. Slater must be given the credit for first 
solving the problem of their manufacture 
by machinery, his patent, issued July 14, 
1908, No. 893,105 being the basic patent for 
Window envelope machines. While 82 years 
of age he is still with us as one of our family, 
as interested in every new development as 
the younger men. He has reached that time 
in life, beautifully described by a single 
Scotch word, which, when we try to translate 
it into English, robs it of its beauty of expres- 

22 



sion. It would be like trying to describe the 
delicate perfume of the rose to one who had 
no sense of smell — it refers to that hour 
between the set of sun and the hour when 
night's dark mantle wraps the earth, "The 
Gloaming," and, as in the Scotch Highlands, 
the twilight or gloaming lasts till almost 
midnight, so our wish is that the gloaming 
of his life may be long, peaceful and happy, 
and we are sure it will be. Mr. Slater has 
had a man's job all his life and he has given 
to his work the best that was in him. He was 
never conscious that there was such a thing as 
a clock and it can with truth be said that 
his whole life has been such that while he 
has a strong personality, he has not an enemy 
in the world. 

Surely, this is one of the rich compensa- 
tions of life which cannot be measured by 
material possessions. Too often words of ap- 
preciation are not said until it is too late, so 
we are glad to give them expression now, 
while our friend is still with us. 




Wm. D. Slater 
1921 



2V> 




FOUR GENERATIONS 

Reading from left to right : 

Mrs. Jennie Slater Robinson 
Wadsworth Robinson Pierce 
Mrs. Emily Robinson Pierce 
Mr. William D. Slater 




Morgan's "Old Guard" 
This picture shows a group of U. S. E. men 
whose total length of service with our Com- 
pany is 172 years. Left to right : Mr. William 
D. Slater, 58 years of service; Mr. George 

24 



M. Pope, 46 years; and Mr. John C. Dear- 
don, 43 years. Mr. Robert Dourgea (the 
younger man at the back) has been with the 
Kellogg Division 25 years. 

On March 12, 1870, the Morgan Env. Co. 
was incorporated with a capital of $45,000,00. 
The original stockholders were — 

H. M. Castle 
Chester W. Chapin 
Elisha Morgan 
O. K. Merrill 
Emerson Wight 
Wm. D. Slater 





H. M. Castle 



Emerson Wight 

In early life 

1865 



The members of the first Board of Directors 
were Chester W. Chapin, President, Elisha 
Morgan, Treasurer, and H. M. Castle and 
Emerson Wight, Directors. 



25 




Chester W. Chapin 



On Feb. 19, 1872, the capital stock was 
increased to $100,000.00. On May 1, 1873, 
the Morgan Env. Co. was awarded the first 
contract for making postal cards for the 
United States Government, the contract 
being for four years, 1873-1877, at $1.39% 
per M. 

In 1874 the Morgan Env. Co. joined forces 
with the Plimpton Mfg. Co. of Hartford, 
Conn., and entered into a four-year contract 
with the United States Government to 
manufacture stamped envelopes for the Gov- 
ernment, a contract which they jointly held 
for 32 years, from 1874 to 1906. (This was 
more fully referred to in No. 14, Red En- 
velope, Chapter VII.) 

When in 1898 ten of the leading envelope 
manufacturing companies were consolidated 
into the United States Envelope Company, 
the Morgan Env. Co. became one of the sub- 
sidiary divisions. Mr. Elisha Morgan became 
one of the Vice Presidents of the consolidated 

26 



company which position he held until his 
death in 1903. At the time of the formation 
of the American Writing Paper Co., in 
1899, this being a consolidation of 29 separate 
paper manufacturing companies, Mr. Morgan 
was elected President, a position he held 
until his death in 1903, in his 69th year. 




Elisha Morgan 
1898 



27 



THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF 
PAPETERIE MAKING 

Springfield was practically the birthplace 
of the Papeterie business in the United States. 

With the passing years the history of the 
beginnings of every industry becomes some- 
what blurred and the steps of its development 
are often hard to trace and legend and tradi- 
tion is sometimes all we have to guide us. 

It has been claimed that a New York manu- 
facturer began to make Papeteries in a very 
limited way at about the same time that 
Mr. Morgan began the business on a larger 
scale at Springfield, Mass., but following this 
tradition has developed no authentic trail 
to establish that fact. 

E. Morgan began the manufacture in 1865, 
the year following his entry into the field of 
envelope making and a careful survey of the 
facts developed about the early envelope 
makers in New York City develops no 
reference whatever to Papeteries. 

From all the data the "G. M." has devel- 
oped it would seem that the honor of being 
the first in the Papeterie field belongs to E. 
Morgan & Co., now the Morgan Stationery 
Co. Div. of the United States Env. Co. They 
soon had quite a field of competitors in the 
Connecticut Valley as well as in New York 
City. L. B. Plimpton & Co., of Hartford, 
Conn., were in the field in 1867. 

It would seem that L. J. Powers & Bro., 
now the Powers Paper Co., soon followed E. 

28 



Morgan & Co. in the manufacture of envelopes 
and Papeteries. They were in the newspaper 
and stationery business under the Massasoit 
Hotel and moved in 1864 to the Goodrich 
Block and a few years later began in a small 
way the manufacture of envelopes, later add- 
ing the manufacture of Papeteries, but the 
exact date cannot now be determined but it 
was probably about the year 1867-8. 





Lewis J. Powers 
When a young man 



Lewis J. Powers 
Later in life 



P. P. Kellogg is reported 
to have started in the Pape- 
terie business in 1869. 

George A. Russell was 
the bookkeeper for E. Mor- 
gan & Co. and later was the 
bookkeeper for P. P. Kel- 
logg & Co. and still later 
he organized the National 
Papeterie Co. of which he 
was the active manager for 
many years. 

29 




Philo P. Kellogg 




Geo. A. Russell 
When a young man 




Geo. A. Russell 
Later in life 



Taylor, Nichols & Co., Springfield, Mass., 
later Murphy & Souther, and still later John 
A. Murphy & Co., were also in the field about 
1869 or 1870. It is a source of regret that 
we have not been able to procure a picture 
of either Elijah Nichols or John E. Taylor 
(familiarly called Deacon Taylor). Mr. 
Murphy is the only one of these three 
pioneers whose picture we were able to 
secure. 




John L. Murphy 
30 




In New York the Berlin & Jones Envelope 
Co. was making initial papeteries in 1869, so 
also was J. Q. Preble & Co., but no detail 
of this early development 
in New York is now avail- 
able. In addition there 
were quite a number of 
small manufacturers in 
New York, whose names 
have with the passing of 
the years disappeared. 

The Birnie Paper Co. 
began as a co-partnership 
the manufacture of pape- 
teries in 1882. The com- 
pany was incorporated in 
1901. 

The Taylor Mfg. Co., now Taylor, Atkins 
Paper Co., at Burnside, Conn., was manu- 
facturing papeteries as far back as 1890. 

Eaton, Hurlbut Paper Co. began the 
manufacture of Papeteries at Pittsfield, Mass., 
in 1893, and in 1908 the name was changed 
to the Eaton, Crane & Pike Co. 

Since then many other firms have entered 
the Papeterie field but the mission of The 
Red Envelope is to deal with the beginnings 
of the industry. 

The artistic character of the boxes devel- 
oped by E. Morgan & Co. with the steel plate 
portrait of Mrs. Scott-Siddons on the top 
of the boxes enabled the Morgan Co. to hold 
the market but for only a short time for m 
1867 lithographic productions took the place 
of the high-grade steel-plate work. The early 

31 



chromo lithographic designs were beautiful, 
both in design and execution, and the Mary 
Pickfords of that era had their innings. Por- 
traits of all the leading actresses of the day 
were developed, some of them in as many as 
eight and ten colors, but, with the sharp com- 
petition, the quality of the lithographic work 
began to deteriorate and soon the name 




MRS. SCOTT-SIDDONS 



"Chromo" which had stood for the highest 
grade of work in the lithographic art had 
become a by-word and stood for anything 
cheap in any line of industry. 

In the year 1878, the American Papeterie 
Co. was formed, it being a consolidation of 
the Papeterie business of the Morgan Env. 

32 



Co., Plimpton Mfg. Co. of Hartford, Conn., 
and the Powers Paper Co. of Springfield, 
Mass. 

Each company owned a proportion of the 
capital stock. The goods were all manufac- 
tured by the American Papeterie Co. The 
Powers Paper Co. and the Plimpton Mfg. Co. 
bought all their papeteries of the new organ- 
ization. This company was in existence three 
or four years when all the capital stock was 
acquired by the Morgan Env. Co. and the 
corporation of the American Papeterie Co. 
was dissolved. 

Years afterward the American Papeterie 
Co. of Albany, New York, was organized, but 
this company was not in any way connected 
with the earlier organization bearing the same 
name. 



[From The Paper World] 
[May, 1884] 
THE MORGAN ENVELOPE CO., 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 

Papeterie, a word that has been adopted 
from the French, signifies "a manufacture of 
paper," and, in its special meaning, it is a 
name applied to a box containing writing 
paper and envelopes and, sometimes, other 
materials used in writing. Before putting up 
papeteries, the person desiring to get a supply 
of writing materials went to a stationery- 
store, or in the country, to a "general notion" 
store selling molasses, calico, nails and 
stationery. 

People were not so particular once as they 
are now, to have all their belongings artist- 
ically correspond with each other and it was 
not of much matter to them if they bought 
one kind of writing paper and another kind 
of envelopes, or if the paper and envelopes 
failed to match in quality and kind. They 
bought what was offered to them. A lady 
would go into a store where she could purchase 
it, and get a quire or two of white commercial 
note or, more likely, letter paper, no tints 
being then made, and a bunch of the en- 
velopes of the most common size, their tints 
from the beginning of their manufacture in 
this country, at about 1840, till about 1850, 
being exclusively buff or what we now call 
manilla. The salesman took the paper from a 
package containing a large quantity and 
wrapped it with the envelopes in brown paper. 
She bought a few pens, it did not matter much 



what kind, a small bottle of ink, and a pen- 
holder of almost any make that was proffered. 
She was then fully equipped for writing a 
letter applying for a summer school to teach, 
or a letter to her lover, or a note accepting an 
invitation to go to a party, or a letter of con- 
dolence, or a letter for any one of the many 
purposes for which letters were written. The 
materials were the same in every case and 
the letter always had the same appearance. 

The letter- writing of a people going through 
a process of differentiation and definiteness, 
in their social customs, ways of business 
and habits of living, all of them be- 
coming more heterogeneous, cannot preserve 
one form very long, but must go through 
the same differentiation and changes toward 
definiteness. In the course of time nice 
envelopes were no longer buff, but white or 
cream; for ladies' use commercial note took 
the place of letter paper, and note paper 
came to be used instead of either, and it was 
given a cream tint. The taste of ladies im- 
proved and they became dissatisfied with a 
haphazard collection of writing materials, and 
demanded a uniformity of kind. It was not 
always easy, however, to secure this uni- 
formity, unless at a stationery store carry- 
ing a very large stock. When ladies arrived 
at the point at which they were pleased in 
having a harmonious assortment of writing 
paper and materials put up in such a way 
as to gratify the fancy, the market was then 
ripe for papeteries — there was only wanting 
some practical man of good taste to suitably 
and attractively prepare the goods for the 
trade. 

35 



In the autumn of 1865 Mr. E. Morgan 
began to put up an embossed initial note 
paper, octavo, with No. 3 envelopes, 2jJ x 
4% "to match, which ladies' note or "octavo" 
paper folded twice would fit. The paper and 
envelopes were white and were put up in 
plain boxes holding five quires each. A 
smaller amount was found very salable and 
the number of quires put in one box were 
soon made two, with a corresponding diminu- 
tion in the number of envelopes and price. 
Early in 1866 the company began putting up 
the single quire boxes which at once struck 
the popular fancy and gave the business the 
vigorous start from which it has steadily 
grown to large proportions. 

During the summer of the same year a new 
line was added of the same sized paper and 
envelopes, but rose tinted. The making of 
tinted papers had recently been introduced 
and they were rapidly received into popular 
favor. The rose tinted papeteries of E. 
Morgan & Co. caught the early tide and they 
mark the beginning of the rage for papers in 
fancy tints. 

Mrs. Scott-Siddons had then just come to 
this country, bringing with her a reputation 
for great beauty, just as Mrs. Langtry did 
later. It occurred to Mr. Morgan that a hit 
might be made by putting a steel plate por- 
trait of the lady on the boxes, and he tried it. 
They took the public in a weak spot and had 
great popularity. This line of paper and 
boxes had such a run of sale that it was found 
impossible to print from the steel plate fast 
enough to meet the demand and the design 

36 



had to be transferred to a lithograph stone. 
From first to last nearly 4,000,000 of these por- 
traits were printed, pasted on boxes and sold. 
The use of the portrait of Mrs. Siddons sug- 
gested that opera singers might be made to 
take her place on the box covers and the sug- 
gestion was carried out by printing their 
pictures with the chromo-lithographic pro- 
cess. Chromos and lithographs of eight 
opera singers and actresses were made in 
fifteen colors, and it was the best work of the 
kind ever done in this country. 

The initials first made were small, and per- 
festly plain. The size of the initial was very 
soon increased and styles in great variety 
were introduced, including the old English, 
rustic, etc. A curious fact illustrating the 
whimsicalities of popular taste is that while 
the first writing paper put out was an initial 
note, initials were in a few years discontinued 
altogether. In the days of initial papeteries 
when a style had become obsolete, all the odd 
letters like X, Y, Z were sold to theatrical 
companies who gave them as presents to the 
ladies in the audience. The first unstamped 
fancy paper was offered for sale in 1869, and 
in 1873 it had entirely supplanted the initial. 

While these developments were taking 
place in the initials the tints and the chromos, 
the boxes themselves underwent improve- 
ments. The covers of the boxes were given 
hinges so that they might be opened like 
a book; indeed, some of them were given a 
book-like appearance and the deception was 
made complete by putting on the back a 
label on which was printed the name of 

37 



some well-known book. The varieties now 
increased very rapidly from the lonesome 
one in 1865, and two in 1866, to about a 
dozen in 1867, and so on, adding many every 
year until the varieties of papeterie boxes 
made by the Morgan Envelope Company 
numbered thousands, while the kinds made 
by all manufacturers were very large indeed. 
The paper boxes went to a class of people 
recognized as having fine taste. There was 
nothing gaudy about such papeteries, and 
their quality was unexcelled. The fancy 
papeteries were distinguished by their boxes, 
to which was largely due the difference in 
prices. Many of the boxes were made most 
exquisite and elegant. They were made of 
wood — mahogany, black walnut and oak 
being used, and the wood was covered with 
many fabrics and materials, satin, plush, 
velvet, gelatine, paper, leatherette, leather, 
etc., in harmonizing colors. The fine grain 
of the wood was often left exposed and was 
hand painted in artistic designs of vines, 
flowers, leaves and the like. Some boxes 
had a mirror in the center of the lid, others 
were provided with a nickel handle, had 
embroideries or embossed hearts, crescents 
and flowers, or gold bugs on the plush cover- 
ing of the lid, or sides. A sample may be a 
cabinet covered with silk plush, lined with 
satin, having a nickel handle and lock and 
containing one-quarter ream of note paper 
and envelopes to match. Cheaper boxes 
had lithographs or chromos on the covers. 
The plush, velvet and satin, the hand-painting 
and the various ornaments in gold, embroid- 
ery and embossed work, made a box of great 



elegance, extreme attractiveness, and such were 
highly valued by every lady who had one. 

The cheapest papeterie was a neat paper 
box with a wood cut on the cover, containing 
a quire of fine paper and envelopes to match'. 
It then sold for six cents to jobbers. From 
this the prices run up to $5 a box. Very 
fine ones were bought by jobbers for $1.50 
to $2.50. The papeterie boxes were much 
sought by ladies, because when the paper 
was used, the boxes were left to become 
receptacles for some of the scores of articles 
that ladies have to put in them — for jewelry, 
collars, laces, photographs, stereoscopic views, 
playing cards, gloves, handkerchiefs, etc., 
boxes for the two articles last named were 
often sold in sets, the handkerchief box being 
square and the glove box long, low and 
narrow. 

In papeterie boxes there were put at one 
time pencils, pens, penholders, ink erasers, 
fancy soap, perfumery, picture cards, jewelry 
and various other articles besides writing 
paper and envelopes. During the various 
stages of the development of the business 
ingenuity has been taxed to invent novelties 
and not .a few outrages on good taste, both 
in the ornamentation of boxes, the size and 
shapes of envelopes and paper and in colors 
and ruling have been the natural conse- 
quences. But the present generation is more 
critical than its predecessors and it is insisting 
upon conformity to good taste. Public taste 
has many vagaries but it swings back to 
correct aestheticism in the long run. Not. 
only have better goods been coming into 
demand, but a more careful workmanship 

39 



in all the appurtenances has been required. 
Even opera singers' chromos, which have 
been the rage throughout, have largely given 
way to comply with the dictates of improving 
taste. The reaction against the overdone 
fancy tints began in 1876. There has been a 
good deal of changeableness, too, in regard 
to rulings. In 1874, the rep or embossed- 
lined papers became immensely popular, 
partly on account of their novel appearance 
and partly because of the feeling which pre- 
vailed widely that ink rulings were vulgar. 
These are not much used now, for perfectly 
plain, unruled note paper has the leading 
sale. 

A growing branch of this business was the 
putting up of what were called "local pape- 
teries." Across the upper left hand corner 
of each sheet of note paper was diagonally 
embossed and printed in gilt the name of the 
town or city where the paper was used. Such 
papeteries found a welcome reception in all 
cities where they were offered for sale by 
stationers. 

Robert W. Day was born in Springfield, 
Mass., Feb. 7, 1852. His connection with 
the Morgan Env. Co. dates from Feb. 7, 
1874. It was under his direction that the 
Toilet Paper Department was developed. 
He was elected a director Feb. 7, 1878. He 
was elected Treasurer of the Company Jan. 
28, 1884, holding that position till the Com- 
pany was merged into the United States 
Envelope Co. On Aug. 12, 1898, he was 
elected Treasurer of the United States Env. 
Co. and held that office until Sept. 9, 1903, 
when he resigned to become President of the 

40 



Springfield United Electric Light Co. when he 
was succeeded by his brother, William O. 
Day. 

On Sept. 9, 1908, he was elected Third 
Vice President and on Mar. 17, 1916, Second 
Vice President of the United States Envelope 
Co., which position he still holds. 





Robert W. Day 


Robert W. Day 


1878 


1921 


26 years of age 





Mr. William O. Day was born in Spring- 
field, Mass., Nov. 5, 1857, and began working 
in the office of the Morgan 
Envelope Co. in Aug., 1871, 
when 14 years of age. With 
the passing of the years 
he eventually became the 
Manager of the envelope 
department of the business, 
and on Jan. 26, 1880, he 
was elected clerk and direc- 
tor of the Company, which 
offices he held until the 
company became one of 
the divisions of the United 




States Envelope Co. On Jan. 18, 1899, he 
was elected a Director of the United States 
Envelope Co. and on Feb. 2, 1900, he was 
elected Assistant General Manager, and on 
Sept. 9, 1903 . he was elected Treasurer of the 
United States Envelope Company, a position 
he still holds. 




Mr. William B. Sleigh, Manager of the 
Morgan Env. Co. Div., was born in Bayonne, 
N. J., Sept. 27, 1872. His 
early schooling was ob- 
tained in the public schools 
of Providence, R. I., where 
in due course he was gradu- 
ated from the High School. 
Later he found work with 
Gerard & Brown, dealers 
in dye stuffs and chemicals, 
where he remained about 
a year. 

Wm. B. Sleigh, Manager ^ ^ f ^ q£ ^q ^ 

came to Springfield and 
began working for the Morgan Env. Co., 




Nov. 1, 1890, as office boy at $3.00 per 
week. 

After the organization of the United States 
Env. Co. in 1898, on Feb. 10, 1899, he was 
elected Assistant Manager of the Morgan 
Env. Co. Div., and on Oct. 20, 1903, he was 
elected Manager. 





F. C. Brigham, Supt. 
1921 



Mr. F. C. Brigham, Superintendent of the 
Morgan Env. Co. Div., was born in Worcester, 
Mass., Sept. 15, 1880. 

He was graduated from the Worcester 
English High School in 1898 and from the 
Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1902. 
Before coming to the Morgan Div. he spent 
about a year and a half passing through all 
the departments of the Logan, Swift & Brig- 
ham Envelope Co. Division, making under 
the direction of Mr. D. W. Swift and Wm. D. 
Slater the drawings for the first Outlook 
attachment for the Window envelope machine. 



In January, 1904, he was transferred to 
the Morgan Env. Co. Div., his first work 
being adjusting envelope machines, also 
making some improvements in and under the 
supervision of Mr. Wm. D. Slater, making 
a complete set of drawings of the Slater En- 
velope-Folding Machine. 

In 1910 he was elected Superintendent. 




L. F. Smith, Ass't Sup't 
1921 



Mr. Leonard F. Smith, Assistant Super- 
intendent of the Morgan Env. Co. Division, 
was born in Templeton, Mass., July 19, 1891. 
He was graduated from the Gardner, Mass., 
High School in 1908, the Worcester Academy 
in 1909, and the Worcester Polytechnic Insti- 
tute in 1913. (During his summer vacations 
he worked in a small machine shop in Gard- 
ner, Mass.) In July of 1913 he began work 
as a machinist in the Construction Depart- 
ment of the Morgan Env. Co. Division. 

He was elected Assistant Superintendent, 
July 1, 1917. 

44 



Mr. E. P. Winter, Manager of the Morgan 
Sta. Co. Division, was born in Springfield, 
Mass., Jan. 3, 1874. He received his school- 
ing in the Springfield schools, graduating 
from the High School in 1892. Soon after 
graduating, he found employment with the P. 
P. Kellogg & Co., remaining with them until 
the company was merged into the United 
States Envelope Co. In March, 1899, he 
was transferred to the Morgan Env. Co. 
Division, and made Manager of the Papeterie 
Department. Later the name was changed 
to the Morgan Sta. Co. Div. 

On Feb. 3, 1908, he was elected Assistant 
Manager of the Morgan Env. Co. Division. 




Mr. Edson P. Winter, 

Manager 

Morgan Stationery Co. Division 

1921 



45 



Francis A. Day was born in Boston, Mass., 
May 1, 1878, graduating from the Fitchburg, 
Mass., High School in 1896, 
and from Tufts College 
with the degree of A. B. 
in 1901. Worked for a 
short time as assistant to 
the agent of the Adams 
Express Co. at Fitchburg. 
In December, 1901, he 
became assistant to Mr. 
E. P. Winter in the Fine 
Stationery department of 

the Morgan EnV. Co. Div. Francis A. Day, 

and when that department superintendent 

r j.1 1_ • j Morgan Stationery Co. Div. 

of the business was trans- 192 i 

ferred to the new building 
on Cypress Street he became Superintendent 
of the Morgan Sta. Co. Division. 




THE MORGAN TOILET PAPER 
DEPARTMENT 

Mr. E. H. Day, the 
Manager of this depart- 
ment, was born and edu- 
cated in the Springfield 
schools. He began work 
with the Morgan Env. Co. 
as office boy at $2.00 per 
week and some years later 
became the bookkeeper. 
He has never worked for 
any other company 

Edward H. Day T r\r\r\ 1 

Manag er In 1909 he was elected 

Morgan Tissue^ Department Manager of the TisSUe 

Department. 

46 




Mr. Robert J. Black was born in Holyoke, 
Mass., Feb. 13, 1887, and was educated in 
the public schools of Hol- 
yoke, taking special courses 
in the evening school of the 
Holyoke Business College. 
His first work was with the 
Baker- Vawter Co., for 
whom he worked two years. 
He began work in the 
General Office of the 
United States Env. Co., 
Springfield, Mass., in Aug- 
ust, 1905, and was made 
Assistant Manager of the 
Tissue Department in Aug- 
ust, 1906. 




Mr. Robert J. Black 

Ass't Manager 

Morgan Tissue Department 

1921 



Edward Nugent, Super- 
intendent of the Tissue 
Department, was born in 
North Adams, April 18, 
1883. After serving four 
years in the United States 
Navy, he began work in 
the shipping room of the 
Morgan Env. Co. in 1903. 

He was made Super- 
Mr. Edward f. Nugent intendent of the Tissue 
superintendent Department in 1907. 

Morgan Tissue Department 
1921 




47 



THE MORGAN NEW YORK OFFICE 

The story of the Morgan Envelope Co. 
would not be complete without including 
the record of John F. Hitchcock, who, since 
1877 (45 years) has been the New York 
representative of the Morgan Envelope Co. 
and the United States Env. Co. 

He was born in Palmer, Mass., June 19, 
1855, and before his connection with the 
Morgan Env. Co. he served a varied busi- 
ness apprenticeship as entry clerk for Homer, 
Foot & Co., hardware, in Springfield, Mass., 





John F. Hitchcock John F. Hitchcock 

1877 1921 

and Chicopee National Bank, bookkeeper 
and traveler for Chapin, Wooster & Co., 
wholesale millinery, Springfield, Mass., trav- 
eler for Taylor, Nichols & Co., ink and 
papeteries, Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Associated with him in the New York 
office are Mr. Chas. F. Hegeman, who has 
been with the company since 1885, and Mr. 
H. E. S. Buechner, who has been with the 
company since 1897. 



The combined terms of Mr. Hitchcock 
and his two lieutenants, Hegeman and 
Buechner, amount to over 100 years of service. 





Chas. F. Hegeman 
1921 



H. E. S. Buechner 
1921 



THE MORGAN BOSTON OFFICE 

The Boston office of the Morgan Envelope 
Company was opened by Fred L. Wood, at 
No. 12 Pearl Street in 1893, where desk room 
was secured in the Advertising Office of 
H. A. Dickerman & Co., Taunton, Mass., but 
soon needing larger quarters the office was 




Fred L Wood, 1922 

Now Purchasing Agent 

United States EnvelopelCo. 

49 



moved to No. 77 Bedford St. and later moved 
to 157 Summer St. Mr. Wood was born in 
Springfield, Mass., Jan. 13, 1859. After 
leaving school he was employed for a short 
time as a clerk in the Smith & Murray depart- 
ment store, Springfield, Mass. On Feb. 19, 
1879, he began work in the shipping depart- 
ment of the Morgan Env. Co. In April, 1881, 
he made his first trip "on the road," and 
when the Boston office was opened in 1893 
he was put in charge. In 1903 he was trans- 
ferred to the Central Office at Springfield 
and made Assistant Purchasing Agent, and 
on the death of Wm. H. Prescott, in 1908. he 
was promoted to the position of Purchasing 
Agent. 

When Mr. Wood was transferred to the 
Springfield office in 1903, Mr. Dan. J. Kelly, 
who had been his assistant and who had 
been with the company 
since 1897, was made Man- 
ager of the Boston office. 
Mr. Kelly was born in 
Ellenville, Ulster County, 
New York, in 1873, gradu- 
ating from the High School 
in 1891. He studied law 
for about a year and in 
1892 he moved to Maiden, 
Mass., taking a position in 
a retail establishment in 
Boston, assisting in buying 
and merchandising in sev- 
eral departments, one of which was books and 
stationery. After this apprenticeship he 
became associated with the Morgan Env. Co. 
in 1897. 




Dan. J. Kelly 
Boston Representative 



50 



THE MORGAN CHICAGO OFFICE 

For many years prior to 1898 the Morgan 
Env. Co. maintained a sales office in Chicago, 
operated under the name of Oliver H. Hicks 
Paper Co. In 1898 when the United States 
Envelope Co. was organized this arrangement 
was terminated and an office was opened 
by the Morgan Env. Co. Div. and was oper- 
ated under the charge of Mr. C. H. Geraghty, 
who was born in Bath, Maine, Mar. 2, 1863. 
Later his family moved to Springfield, Mass., 
where he received his early schooling, gradu- 
ating from the High School in 1881. That 
fall he found employment in the box shop 
of the National Papeterie Co. He passed 
through various departments, finally reach- 
ing the office, and in 1889 he was sent out 
"on the road" to sell goods. In 1892 he 
became connected with the Morgan Env. 
Co. and has been with them ever since, as 
Manager of the Chicago office. 





C. H. Geraghty C. H. Geraghty 

1892 1921 

Chicago Representative 

1892-1922 



51 



Mr. George A. Wilson of the Morgan 
Envelope Company Chicago office staff is 
one of the veterans in the business. He was 
born in Lockport, New- 
York, Jan. 10, 1864, gradu- 
ating from the Commercial 
department of the Lock- 
port University in 1882. 
In 1887 he entered the em- 
ploy of the Chicago Manila 
Paper Co., 75 Lake Street, 
owned by Oliver H. Hicks. 
They manufactured paper 
boxes and carried the Mor- 
gan Env. Co.'s lines of 
toilet paper. When in 
1898 the Morgan Env. Co. 
Div. took over the business, Mr. Wilson 
became a member of the Morgan staff. 




George A. Wilson 
1921 



THE MORGAN PHILADELPHIA 
OFFICE 




The Philadelphia office 
of the Morgan Envelope 
Co. was established in 1899 
with Mr. Walter H. Hoff- 
man as resident manager. 
At his death in 1900, Mr. 
Edward E. Cohen was ap- 
pointed as his successor. 
Mr. Cohen was born in 
New York City, Jan. 11, 



Edward E. Cohen 1859. 

1921 



THE MORGAN SAN FRANCISCO 
OFFICE 




A. L. Bonney 
1921 



The establishment of the Pacific Coast 
office in the Rialto Building, San Francisco, 
California, is of recent date, 1916, and is in 
charge of Mr. A. L. Bonney. 



53 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

April, 1922 Number 17 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

DIVISION 

HARTFORD, CONN. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In New York City 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



iff} 



.11 



III 




GEO. F. NESBITT & CO. 
Corner. Pearl and Pine Sts., New York City 

Joseph Spear 1795-1828 

Geo. F. Nesbitt 1828-J1840 

Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 1840-1912 



CHAPTER XII 

In the Edison Monthly of April, 1913, the 
house organ of the New York Edison Co., is 
an interesting account of "The House of 
Nesbitt" of New York City (1795 to 1912). 
From this article and an article in the Phila- 



telic Gazette of July and August, 1913, by L. 
G. Quackenbush, and from Bishop's History 
of American Manufactures, published by 
Edward Young & Co., Philadelphia, 1868, I 
make quotations supplementing such other 
data as I have been able to gather from various 
sources. 

The Philatelic Gazette was not interested in 
the development of envelope-making machin- 
ery but they were interested in the issues of 
postage stamps and of stamped envelopes, 
and they claim that some of the stamping 
work done by the early makers of stamped 
envelopes (Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. and Geo. H. 
Reay) has never been surpassed, and their 
interest in that particular class of work has 
preserved some of the historical records of 
the envelope industry, which would otherwise 
have been lost. 

What came in after years to be known as 
"The House of Nesbitt" was established in 
1795 by Joseph Spear, an uncle of Geo. F. 
Nesbitt, who was born in New York City 
in 1809, and who, like many others who have 
risen to eminence in the various departments 
of practical life, achieved success by the force 
of natural talents unaided by early advan- 
tages. While a mere boy he was apprenticed 
to his uncle, Joseph C. Spear, to learn the art 
of printing and by the time he was fifteen years 
of age he was carrying a large burden of 
responsibility in his uncle's business. _ He 
remained with his uncle until after he attained 
his majority and later became his partner, 
but this connection was maintained only for 
a few years. 



On his uncle's death in 1828 the business 
was taken over by Mr. Nesbitt but just when 
the firm adopted the name of Geo. P. Nesbitt 
it is not possible to definitely state, but in 
1831, under that name they were doing busi- 
ness at 117 Water Street. 

At first, after his uncle's death Mr. Nesbitt 
carried on the business under his own name only 
but by 1840 the "& Co." had been added 
but it is not known who represented the 
"Co.," and though there were various other 
partners in the business after Mr. Nesbitt's 
death in 1869 the firm name remained Geo. 
F. Nesbitt & Co. up to the time of its disso- 
lution in 1912. 

About the year 1835 or 1836 Mr. Nesbitt 
became interested in the manufacture of 
wood block type by machinery. The machine 
which he used was invented by Edwin Allen, 
of Norwich, Conn., and this was supposed 
to be Mr. Allen's largest single contribution 
to the mechanic arts. A brief sketch of Mr. 
Edwin Allen would not be out of place here. 
The sketch below is taken from a quarterly 
publication issued by L. Johnson & Co., 
typefounders of Philadelphia. This was 
simply a four-page folder issued for adver- 
tising purposes to show specimens of type 
and was given the name "Typographic Art." 
The issue bears no date, so it is not possible 
to know definitely when or by whom the 
sketch was prepared. 



From An Article In "Typographic Art" 

MR. EDWIN ALLEN 

The Inventor of Machinery 
For Cutting Wood Type 



Mr. Allen was born on the 27th of March, 
1811, in the town of Windham, Conn., 
then a place of some importance, and with a 
twin brother was the youngest of a family 
of nine children. His father had established 
himself there as a cabinet maker in the year 
1800 and with that business also cultivated 
a farm lying on the west bank of the She- 
tucket. Young Allen was made a "tiller of 
the ground" until he reached an age proper 
for commencing a trade, when he was placed 
in the shop as an apprentice to his father's 
occupation. This was a calling not in con- 
sonance with his taste. His mind ran on 
machinery and he desired to study the prin- 
ciples of mechanical science which there was 
opportunity to do with an experienced mill- 
wright living near. But his father's choice 
was law and he faithfully worked in the shop 
until twenty-one, when he had acquired a 
thorough knowledge of the cabinet-making 
art. He also found that the time had not 




Edwin Allen, 1850 
(39 years) 



been lost to his ruling 
purpose, 

Enterprising and thrifty, 
his father had neglected 
no improvement which 
could at that time be 
introduced into his busi- 
ness. He procured new 
and valuable machinery, 
so far as it was to be had, 
and young Allen found in 
this frequent gratification 
of his passion, each new 
machine being a means of 
instruction in his favorite study. It must 
suffice to add that during his apprenticeship 
he had himself invented various machines 
for doing work which had before been done 
solely by the hand. 

In the year 1835, he left the old homestead 
and engaged with an elder brother, who was 
also a cabinet maker, at Norwich, Conn., 
and here he invented and put in successful 
operation other machines, useful in that 
branch of industry. The connection, how- 
ever, was brief. In the fall of 1836 his broth- 
er's factory was destroyed by fire arid his em- 
ployment there came to an end. 

Strolling about the city of Norwich, Conn., 
in the fall of 1836, he having been thrown out 
of work by the destruction by fire of his 
brother's factory, partly in search of work 
and partly, it may be, "to see what he might 
see," he came to the office of the Norwich 
Courier, then owned by Mr. John Dunham. 



He had never witnessed the operation of 
printing and curiosity led him in. Mr. Dun- 
ham politely received him and, showing him 
over the premises, explained the various 
processes connected with the art. Passing 
from stand to stand, they came to a font of 
wood type which arrested his attention. It 
was nine-line pica antique, coarsely cut, and 
of various imperfections. "How are wood 
type made?" eagerly inquired our friend. 
"Are they in general use?" "What do they 
cost?" etc., etc. Mr. Dunham gave informa- 
tion to every inquiry, never dreaming, we 
suspect, that it might be followed by an in- 
vention scarcely inferior to any ever made 
in the printing business. 

Returning home, Mr. Allen, being a cabinet 
maker, and used to wood work, was im- 
pressed that machinery might be brought to 
the manufacture of wood type. His whole 
soul was absorbed in it and at the end of three 
days his idea was worked out. A frail machine 
had been improvised and specimens of type 
far excelling anything ever before seen, 
brought to Mr. Dunham for inspection. This 
was a demonstration and this determined the 
future of the inventor's career. He returned 
to the homestead in Windham and erected 
premises for the new business. Other and 
better machines were made, patterns of 
various styles were got up and things generally 
put in readiness for the enterprise. In the 
month of March, 1837, he had made such 
quantities of his new type that he thought it 
prudent to visit New York in search of a 
market. So, with a box of specimens in hand, 



he started for Norwich and, there taking 
steamboat, the next morning he found himself 
for the first time in the metropolis of the 
Union. Hurrying to the nearest type foundry, 
he boldly entered and asked if they would 
look at his samples of new type. 

"We do not wish to buy type," was the 
reply. "I do not ask you to buy but to 
examine the specimens I have." "No, sir, we 
keep type to sell." Surprised and abashed 
at this reception, he began to fear that he 
might be bringing coals to Newcastle after 
all. The Typefounders would oppose him 
from self-interest. Slightly daunted, however, 
for he knew he had a superior article, and that 
it only needed to be known to be acknowl- 
edged, he determined to call on the printers 
themselves and see what they had to say of 
it. And here his expectations were realized. 
They not only willingly examined his type but 
expressed the most unbounded admiration of 
its excellence. Nothing, they declared, had 
ever been presented in market that could be 
put in its comparison. 

Among the printers called upon was Geo. 
F. Nesbitt. Mr. Nesbitt, who alone was in, 
received him courteously and entered into 
many inquiries respecting the new manu- 
facture. After a somewhat lengthy interview, 
Mr. Nesbitt suggested an arrangement by 
which he would introduce the type to the 
trade of the country. This was accepted and 
an agreement entered into by which it should 
be brought out as "Nesbitt's Wood Type," 
a name which it long afterwards held. Mr. 
Allen returned to his manufactory. English 



and French as well as American Specimen 
Books were procured and such styles as could 
be made available were introduced into wood. 
The labor of this was prodigious but it was 
successfully accomplished and he had the 
proud satisfaction of its acknowledgment from 
every source. 

Mr. Allen's story is one of the tragedies of 
invention. New and still newer type patterns 
had to be made for there was no end to the 
variety that was called for. Horse power 
gave way to that of water; water, from fatal 
drought in summer was superseded by steam. 
Addition to addition became necessary and 
the various improvements indispensable to 
developing the business bore heavily on Allen's 
slender means. Losses in trade also came in 
their turn. Much was earned but much was 
also spent. For the rest, the story is soon told. 
After fifteen years of Herculean labor of 
head and hand, with varying success, and 
while a thousand offices in the land were 
filled and fattened with the product of his 
toil, he broke down in business in 1852, and 
the enterprise went into the hands of Mr. 
J. G. Cooley, who conducted the Printer's 
Warehouse in New York City, and who later 
sold the business to Mr. Page of Norwich, 
Conn., afterwards the Page Wood Type Co. 

We cannot follow further his honorable 
and skillful labors. And, we only add, since 
"reflections are fashionable" — that the experi- 
ence of Mr. Allen furnishes another evidence 
that "the path of genius is more often beset 
with thorns than crowned with flowers." 
His life, however, was not a failure. He left 

10 



the world better than he found it. He added 
largely to its industrial facilities and his name 
ought to be held in lasting honor by the 
friends of our own noble art. 

Mr. J. G. Cooley of- Norwich, Conn., whose 
father was associated with Mr. Allen in busi- 
ness, wrote on January 26, 1922: "I am quite 
sure Mr. Allen's wood-type cutting machine 
was not patented. It was a modification of 
the pantograph." 

Mr. Henry L. Bullen, Librarian of the Typo- 
graphic Library and Museum of the Ameri- 
can Typefounders Co., Jersey City, N. J., in 
a letter dated Oct. 21, 1921, said: "I found 
in my investigation a reference to these earlier 
wood-type cutting machines to the effect that 
Allen's machines were used by Geo. F. Nes- 
bitt & Co., that they were very similar to those 
used by William Leavenworth, the only 
radical change being in the use of a raised 
pattern by Allen, whereas Darius Wells, 
a printer of New York, and William Leaven- 
worth of Allentown, New Jersey, used grooved 
patterns. Allen's patterns are said to have 
been less expensive to make and easier to use. 





Antique, Rose Ornamental Gothic Condensed. Acorn 



NESBITT'S WOOD TYPE 

Copied from catalogue of Geo. F. Nesbitt, 1838, showing specimens 
of first wood type cut by machinery. 



11 



In 1836 Mr. Nesbitt issued a large specimen 
book, showing samples of his wood block type 
and it is claimed that a copy of this book is 
now in the possession of the Hamilton Mfg. 
Co., Two Rivers, Wisconsin. . 

Even after this failure, his mind still worked 
in the same direction, for while his first inven- 
tion of wood-type cutting machines was 
developed in the late 30's we find a patent 
issued to him in 1854 and also one in 1862, 
as below, for doing work of a similar character. 

From Annual Report of Commissioner of 
Patents 

Part I, 1854, pages 685, 686 

No. 11,922. EdwIn Allen. Improvement in 
Machinery for Carving Stone. 
Patented Nov. 7, 1854. 

The nature of this improvement is set forth 
in the claim by reference to the annexed 
figure. (N is the tool shaft.) 

Claim. The employment, for the purpose 
of carving stone and other substances, of two 
pantographs, combined with a tracer U and 
cutting tool as described, to wit: the panto- 
graphs being arranged at right angles to each 
other, and having their main pivots connected 
or arranged in such a way as to form or be 
equivalent to a universal joint, and the tool 
and tracer being suspended from or attached 
to the Pantograph O P Q R, and passing 
through sockets in the legs of the pantograph 
A B C D, whereby the tracer and tool are 
allowed a universal movement, as set forth. 

12 



From Annual Report of Commissioner 
of Patents 

Vol. I, 1862, page 647 

No. 36,884. Edwin Allen, of Newark, N. J. 

A carriage or movable bed for forming and 
planing machines. Patent dated Nov. 11, 
1862. This invention relates to a method 
of constructing movable beds or carriages, on 
which wood or metal is placed to be shaped 
or otherwise operated upon, so that it can 
freely and easily move in any direction and 
at the same time be perfectly solid and steady. 

Claim. The movable carriage, when con- 
structed and operated by the jointed levers, 
in the manner and for the purpose herein 
above specified. 

Under Mr. Nesbitt's progressive manage- 
ment his business continued to prosper and 
grow and while he was directing its affairs 
the firm moved into the larger Tontine 
Building, corner Wall & Water Sts. From 
1833 to 1844 they were located at 67 Wall 
St. In 1844 they moved from this location 
to the Tontine Building, corner Wall & Water 
Sts. 

They were doing business in the Tontine 
Building in 1845 as stationers and printers 
and advertised in the New York City Direc- 
tory English envelopes introduced by James 
R. Murray, Esq., so it would seem they 
were not themselves manufacturers of en- 
velopes at that time or their advertisement 
would probably have so stated. 




TONTINE BUILDING 

Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 

Cor. Wall and Water Sts. 

New York City 



From the Tontine Buildings they moved 
to the building on the corner of Pearl and 
Pine Sts. The date cannot now be definitely 
determined but probably about 1850, just 
before the time when they secured the contract 
for making stamped envelopes for the United 
States Government. 

Very early in Mr. Nesbitt's business career 
as a printer, lithographer, blank book and 
envelope manufacturer, card manufacturer 
and stationer, he gave evidence of possessing 
vision backed up with a venturesome pro- 
gressive spirit that reached out into the 
unknown future. The character of his print- 
ing was such that he might very properly be 
referred to as the Theodore L. DeVinne of his 
day. 

His progressive spirit led him into the 
envelope business at the very beginning 
when envelope machines were the crudest 



of the crude, being entirely foot-power 
machines ; he reached out into the future and 
had the nerve and the courage to undertake 
the execution of a contract with the United 
States Government for the manufacture of 
stamped envelopes. 

Oct. 25, 1852, Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. were 
awarded the contract but up to that time we 
find no record that any power envelope 
machines were in existence in the United 
States. The first successful envelope-folding 
machine patented in the United States being 
the invention of Dr. R. L. Hawes, of Worces- 
ter, Mass., patented June 21, 1853, and quite 
fully described in Red Envelope No. 4, 
February, 1916. 

Previous to that time various attempts 
had been made in England to introduce and 
popularize Government Stamped envelopes; 
but, owing to the want of proper machinery to 




GEO. F. NESBITT & CO. 
Corner Pearl and Pine Sts., New York City 



manufacture them economically, these 
attempts had not been successful, but to Mr. 
Nesbitt this was simply one more problem 
to solve. 

It was this last building that witnessed 
much of the firm's progress. 

In 1852 the first contract for making 
stamped envelopes for the Government was 
awarded to Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. for a term 
of five years and they continued to be the 
contractors till 1870, when Geo. H. Reay 
secured the contract for four years from 1870 
to 1874, but on his failure to deliver the goods 
in sufficient quantities to meet the wants of 
the Government this contract was annulled 
on July 16, 1870, and a new contract was 
awarded to Dempsey & O' Toole of New York, 
who also failed to furnish the goods and this 
contract was also annulled. Then Mr. Reay 
entered into an arrangement with Geo. F. 
Nesbitt & Co. by which the Nesbitt plant 
would manufacture the envelopes for Reay 
and a new contract was made with the govern- 
ment on Oct. 10, 1870, the contract being 
completed in 1874, at which time the Plimp- 
ton Mfg. Co. of Hartford, Conn., underbid 
Geo. H. Reay for the contract for the next 
four years. This contract was carried out 
through the joint efforts of the Plimpton Mfg. 
Co. of Hartford, Conn., and the Morgan 
Env. Co. of Springfield, Mass. (See Red 
Envelope No. 14, Oct., 1921), till 1906 when 
the contract was awarded to the Mercantile 
Corporation of Dayton, Ohio, who with the 
Middlewest Supply Co., Dayton, Ohio, have 
held the contract since. 



In 1874, after losing the government con- 
tract, Geo. H. Reay failed and on Nov. 10, 
assigned, and John S. Graham, of Woolworth 
& Graham, was appointed Receiver. 

The conditions finally accepted on Jan. 22, 
1875, by Mr. Reay's creditors was fifty per 
cent, in full settlement and the business was 
turned over to Mr. Reay to operate, but Mr. 
Graham as Receiver was not released until 
Oct. 23, 1875. 

It is often said, and too often there is truth 
in the saying, that the National Government 
is not progressive and lags behind general 
business and yet, in the matter of stamped 
envelopes, the Government entered into a 
contract in Oct., 1852, for the manufacture 
of stamped envelopes and the first successful 
jDOwer envelope-folding machine was not 
patented till the following year. Men were 
working on the problem but up to that time 
there had not been produced in the United 
States a power machine for making envelopes. 
They were still made almost entirely by hand 
or with crude foot-power machines. 

As a silent reminder of departed glory of 
"The House of Nesbitt," there was hanging 
on the wall of the building, corner Pearl and 
Pine Sts., as late as 1912, two faded weather- 
beaten signs — 

"United States Envelope Factory" 
"Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co." 

The signs showed their three score years of 
service and the memories of a famous past. 

17 



With the passing of this firm there was taken 
from the business life of New York the city's 
oldest printing establishment and through 
its long and honorable career there had been 
woven into its life many threads of the 
country's commercial history. It was in this 
old building that one of the earliest city 
telephones was installed, and its presses were 
among the first in the world to be driven by 
electric motors. In the general cleaning out, 
in 1912, there was lost some of the oldest 
electrical apparatus in the city — for the 
wiring that was installed in the early 90's 
supplied current through the building until 
the last press had completed the last day's 
job. What a contrast were the motor-driven 
presses of 1912 to the old hand-operated 
printing frames that were used when Joseph 
Spear began his career one hundred and 
seventeen years before. 

The telephone and electric wiring that was 
installed in 1891 remained in place until 
1911, just twenty years. The Nesbitt motor, 
a 15 H. P. machine, was one of the first large 
motors on the lines of the old Edison Com- 
pany, and for many years the firm complied 
with a rule requiring all power users to cut 
off their buildings at the close of each day. 
Every firm using motors designated certain 
employees whose duty it was to open the 
switch when the plant was about to close down 
at night. This switch was located in the 
basement just where the lines came into the 
building from the street. 

The old motor that was installed at that 
time was used until 1910 or 1911 and from it 

18 



extended a system of belting and shafting 
that covered the entire plant. By this means 
power was conveyed to presses, cutting ma- 
chines, lathes in the machine shop, job presses, 
and in fact wherever there was need for power. 

Quite different were the business methods 
of those early days — then a messenger was 
despatched with the quill-scrawled and sand- 
blotted letter, a process unknown to the 
present generation, whereas now the telephone 
conveys most of the 20th century messages 
or a typewritten note is sent by post, and 
where tallow dips or oil lamps made it possible 
for the printers to turn out their rush orders 
at night, pressmen of a later day worked under 
the shaded glow of incandescent lamps. 

The Edison Company was not interested 
in the making of envelopes nor were^ they 
particularly interested in the ancient history 
of printing and envelope making, but they 
were vitally interested in the story connected 
with early installations of electricity for light 
and power. 

After Mr. Nesbitt's death, April 7, 1869, 
the business was carried on by his associates. 
From the American Dictionary of Printing 
and Bookmaking, page 389, we quote: "The 
business is now carried on by James White 
who was admitted into partnership in 1850, 
and Edmund F. Martin and Frederick A. 
Harter, admitted later." The late Edward 
P. Martin became the head of the firm in 
1895, and continued in that position until 
his death in 1912. 

19 



Sixty years ago, it need scarcely be stated, 
there were no printing trade journals to supply 
historians of a succeeding generation with 
information as to the relative rank of the 
masters of the printing craft. 

But we have the testimony of such news- 
papers as the Times and the Evening Post 
that at about the time Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 
undertook the government stamped envelopes 
contracts that the Nesbitt establishment did 
the largest printing and lithographic business 
in America. 

They were also manufacturing stationers on 
a large scale, printing and ruling all kinds of 
office blanks and blank books and selling at 
wholesale and retail office supplies of every 
description. 

Just by way of comparison with the present 
size of business establishments the old record 
states that the working force of this, one of 
the largest houses, if not the largest, of its 
kind in the country, employed about one 

hundred and seventy-five 

persons. 

Such was the organ- 
ization whose efficiency, 
resources and ingenuity, 
the government deemed 
best adapted to its needs 
when it cast about for 
someone to undertake the 
manufacture of stamped 
envelopes whose use had 
been authorized by Con- 
gress August 31, 1852. 




F. Nesbitt 
jt 45 years of age 



Stamped Envelopes Authorized 
Act Aug. 31, 1852, Section 8, Vol. 10, page 141 

"Postmaster General authorized to pro- 
vide stamped letter envelopes. Letters 
when enclosed in such envelopes (with stamps 
thereon equal in amount to the postage in 
which such letters would be liable if sent by 
mail) may be sent and delivered otherwise 
than by mail under certain conditions." 

(The above is from the report of the Post- 
master General for 1888. Abstract of laws 
relating to the Postal Service in the United 
States.) 

Before they were awarded the contract for 
making stamped envelopes for the Govern- 
ment in Oct., 1852, Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 
had for some years been makers of the ordi- 
nary envelopes of commerce by hand and 
by simple foot-power machines, but the re- 
quirements of the government were special 
and peculiar and of such volume that it neces- 
sitated the development of envelope making 
to a higher point of mechanical excellence 
than had hitherto obtained in the trade. In 
the designing of the special machinery em- 
ployed in making stamped envelopes and in 
the devising of improvements in various 
incidental processes of manufacture, Mr. 
Nesbitt had personally a very large part and 
"before he died in 1869 he had the satisfaction 
of seeing this branch of the business grow to 
such proportions as to require the services 
of fifty hands." 

Nesbitt & Co. were one of the early makers 
of envelopes by hand and, being progressive, 

21 



were also one of the first to avail themselves 
of simple foot-power machines. 

In 1904, the "G. M." had Mr. F. C. Graves, 
superintendent of the Plimpton Mfg. Co. 
Division of Hartford, Conn., visit New York 
and call on Mr. Emanuel Rati, one of the 
early builders of envelope machinery, to get 
from him the story of his recollections of the 
first envelope-making machinery in New York. 
Mr. Rau gave Mr. Graves a word picture of 
an envelope-folding machine invented by 
Gerhard Sickles, which was probably the 
first machine used by Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 

Mr. Sickles evidently took out no patents 
for his inventions and so has left no trace of 
his work and the machines having been con- 
signed to the scrap heap many years ago, no 
one now living has any knowledge of what 
they were like. 

Mr. Gerhard Sickles was located at 374 
Pearl St. in 1842-1844 and commenced to 
make envelopes in New York by hand in the 
early 40's. Mr. Emanuel Rau fixed the date 
at about 1843 or 1844. At that time he 
bought paper by the ream, cutting out the 
blanks with a shoemaker's knife round a 
tin envelope blank pattern — the envelopes 
were ungummed on the sealing flap and were 
folded by Mrs. Sickles and the children in 
their home. 

He was a man of some mechanical ingenuity 
and naturally his mind was running on a 
simple machine which could be operated 
in the home by foot power, which would 
enable the family to get a larger output. Some 




Photo of W. W. Cotton's model in the Patent Office, Washington, D. C, 
for which patent 14,625 was granted April 8, 1856. 



years later he entered into an arrangement 
with Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. to build for them 
a machine. Mr. Rau thought this was about 
1850 or 1851 and while at work building this 
machine he had as an apprentice working with 
him a young man named W. W. Cotton, who 
afterwards was foreman for Samuel Raynor 
& Co. and who later invented a power en- 
velope machine of his own for which he was 
granted a patent Apr. 8, 1856, No. 14,625. 

This was the machine used by McSpedon 
& Baker, who in 1866 or 1868 sold their 
envelope manufacturing plant to Woolworth 
& Graham. (See Red Envelope No. 15, 
January, 1922.) 



The machine Mr. Sickles built for Nesbitt 
& Co. was not a power machine. Mr. Rau's 
description follows : 

''The Gerhard Sickles envelope-folding 
machine had two upright posts reaching 
from the floor to the roof, to get a brace for 
steadiness, between these two posts there was 
a slide motion up and down for the plunger, 
with a crank motion which operated the four 
wing flaps, then there was also a foot-power 
lever motion. An envelope was fed into the 
machine by hand the same as a printing press 
was fed, the plunger came down and crowded 
the blank into the folding box, then the crank 
motion operated the wing flaps and the com- 
pleted envelope was taken out of the folding 
box." 

Mr. Rau could not remember just how the 
envelope was taken out of the folding box, 
but he thought the bottom of the folding 
box dropped down. Mr. Rau said this was 
the first machine Sickles built and that he, 
having learned something in the building 
of this first machine, later produced another 
and much better machine run by power, but 
he could give no description of it. 

In Appleton's New American Encyclopedia, 
1859, Vol. VII, pp. 228-29-30, we find the 
following : 

"In the United States hand-made envelopes 
were first furnished to the trade by Messrs. 
Bell & Gould and Mr. Geo. F. Nesbitt of 
New York. The former house afterward ob- 
tained a machine, contrived by Mr. Gerhard 
Sickles, which is understood to have done 



good service, though since surpassed by others 
of later invention. Mr. Nesbitt was not 
long in securing another, which in general 
plan resembled that of the De La Rue machine 
of London, though much more simple and 
perfect. In his establishment he employs 
about eight machines, the capacity of each 
machine being about 30,000 envelopes per 
day. The machines occupy but little room, 
five of them standing as they are worked in a 
space of about 18 feet in length and less than 
four feet in breadth. Each one is in an iron 
frame, about five feet high from side to side, 
and 16 inches from front to back. 

The feeding shelf projects in front about 
two feet more. The power is applied to a 
driving pulley upon one end of a horizontal 
axis or shaft along the top of the frame. 

The pulley is put in gear by placing the foot 
Upon a treadle at the base, and is thrown out 
on removing the foot. In the middle of the 
axis is a crank giving nine inches stroke and 
carrying the vertically moving plunger. Near 
the pulley is a cam on the shaft for the move- 
ments connected with the gumming and at 
the other end of the axis is the crank for work- 
ing the various other movements of the ma- 
chine. The machines are worked by females, 
one to each. As the foot is placed on the 
treadle a blank cut by the usual method is 
laid carelessly upon the feeding shelf. It is 
immediately taken along and worked into its 
exact place, and a second is started before the 
first has reached the center under the plunger. 
While this is coming down a pair of gummers 
at an obtuse angle to each other, having 

25 



received their supplies of gum from the recep- 
tacle with which they are connected, are 
brought over the wide back flap and dab a 
little gum upon the edges of this. The plunger 
immediately follows and carries the blank 
down through the opening, which it exactly 
fits, leaving the flaps standing up. The 
plunger rises and the two end flaps are pushed 
over in turn, and upon them the back flap, 
fastening all three together. The last shutter 
closes over the front flap, the bottom of the 
mould falls back upon its hinges and the en- 
velope falls through into a tin slide, down 
which it slips into an upright tin box placed 
to receive them. This box makes a quarter 
revolution on its axis with every 25 envelopes 
and these are consequently arranged in the 
box in piles of twenty-five, crossing each other 
ready for counting and boxing." 

This second power machine referred to 
above was imported from England and was 
probably the De La Rue machine or another 
machine following the lines of the De La Rue 
machine which was exhibited at the Exposi- 
tion in London in 1851. 

In connection with the development of 
the wood-block type business Mr. Nesbitt 
had become acquainted with Edwin Allen, as 
described earlier in this article. 

Mr. Nesbitt knew Mr. Allen as an ingenious 
mechanic who had been working on machines 
for feeding paper, and as feeding the envelope 
blanks to the envelope-folding machines was 
one of Nesbitt & Co.'s problems in connection 
with carrying out the stamped envelope con- 



tract which they were wrestling with and were 
using some very crude envelope machinery 
entirely inadequate to meet the demands of 
their fast growing business, they called upon 
Mr. Allen for help and engaged him to build 
for them an envelope-folding machine. Mr. 
Allen went to Newark, N. J., and in the shop 
of Ezra Gould he built the first stamped 
envelope machine for Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 

These folding machines had an elevating 
mechanism for keeping the blanks at the 
proper height and they also had a printing 
attachment and device for embossing the 
stamp. 

This machine is believed to have been the 
first so-called "Stamper" or machine for 
printing, embossing and folding envelopes. 
It would appear that no patents were ever 
granted on this Allen machine operated by 
Nesbitt & Co. and so no patent office model 
or drawings are available to show what the 
machine was like and these machines, like the 
men and women who operated them, have all 
passed away. For this meagre description we 
have to depend upon the faulty memory of 
man. 

Below is given an illustration of a section of 
the folding room of Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co.'s 
factory on Pearl and Pine Sts. These are 
supposed to be the Allen envelope, printing, 
embossing and folding machines. 

This description is reproduced from an 
article by L. G. Quackenbush in the Philatelic 
Gazette, April, 1913, taken from an article in 
the New York Evening Post, Sept. 16, 1861. 

27 









y 1 % W'f , : t 


< 4j 


^i^jjf/ 


H 


■ 



A section of the folding room 

Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co.'s factory, corner 

Pearl and Pine Sts., New York 



"A Wonderful Machine" 

"The final process, embodying all the opera- 
tions necessary to the completion of the 
finished stamped and ruled envelope (the 
ruling referred to has reference to printed 
lines showing on the face of the envelope to 
guide the writer in addressing the envelope) 
is the work of a single machine. 

"A pile of the sheets are placed at one end 
of the machine, taken up singly by steel fingers 
and conveyed by tapes along an iron platform. 
On the way each sheet receives upon the 
upper surface the impress of the die and at 
the same instant the dissolving lines from 

28 



below, i. e., the ruled lines without apparent 
detention. 

"Arriving at the other end of the machine, 
an iron bar having an end shaped like the 
folded envelope falls perpendicularly upon 
the sheet. As it is about to be driven into an 
aperture of similar shape the gum, which is 
held in a little reservoir, is applied with such 
rapidity as to defy accurate observation. The 
folding is then instantaneously, and we may 
add mysteriously, completed, the adhesion 
of the parts is perfected and the envelope 
passes out between rollers, which press it 
into an odd and long looking receptacle which, 
when twenty-five have entered it, make a 
semi-revolution, thus causing the next twenty- 
five to lie crosswise, and so on until it is filled. 

No hand labor of any description is required 
in the running or management of the machine 
(of which several are employed). A girl sits 
by the side of each machine, leaving her place 
only when it is necessary to carry away the 
finished envelopes or bring a new pile of 
paper. It is worthy of remark here that the 
machine refuses to work the instant when the 
supply becomes exhausted, or even if by 
accident the fingers should fail to take up a 
sheet or by design one were withdrawn." 

The article in the New York Evening Post, 
Sept., 1861, says: 

"The processes of manufacturing and print- 
ing the envelopes, apparently simple, are very 
interesting. The work is performed almost 
entirely by machinery of a most complicated 
description which has been perfected after 

29 



years of careful study and experiments by 
the manufacturers of the stamped envelopes, 
and is in use." 

From the fact that this article was written 
in the fall of 1861 "after years of careful study 
and experiments, etc.," it wpuld seem that 
practically ten years of development work on 
envelope machinery lay behind their equip- 
ment at that time, and while no envelope 
makers now living can remember seeing an 
envelope machine like those shown in the 
illustration on page 28 from some of the 
descriptions, particularly the feeding device 
where "the sheets were taken up singly by 
steel fingers," and as this was Allen's method 
of feeding sheets and that 
this was a number of years 
after Nesbitt had hired 
Edwin Allen of Norwich, 
Conn., to build him a 
stamping and folding en- 
velope machine, it would 
seem to be a fair assump- 
tion that the machines 
shown in the illustration 
are the Allen machines to 
which the Evening Post 
article of Sept. 16, 1861, 
refers. 

The record says: "Mr. Nesbitt died in 
1869, the year preceding his loss of the govern- 
ment contract, closing a long, prosperous 
and useful life, and yet he was only sixty 
years of age when he died. 

That he was a public-spirited citizen may 
be known from the fact that he was long 




Edwin Allen, H 
Aged 70 years 



30 



secretary of the old New York Volunteer Fire 
Department. He was also for some years 
Adjutant of the Ellsworth Zouaves, which 
existed as a crack militia corps long before 
it had its chance to win undying fame in the 
Civil War. 

Mr. Nesbitt held a prominent position and 
played a leading part in the industrial develop- 
ment of New York City. Operating as he 
did the largest printing and lithographing 
plant in this country, making his great con- 
tribution to the printing art by the develop- 
ment of the machinery for making wood 
block type, one of the first manufacturers of 
envelopes by power-driven machines in the 
United States. The first contractor with the 
U. S. Government for making stamped en- 
velopes, and yet, and yet, the "G. M.," after 
writing scores of letters and making many 
calls on individuals, and consulting the libra- 
ries in many cities, has been unable to learn 
where or when he was born, and the brief story 
here told is all the record of Geo. F. Nesbitt 
we have been able to develop. The name 
would indicate that he was probably of Scotch 
extraction and from one source he was told 
he was a six-foot Virginian, but this has never 
been confirmed. Truly, this is a forgetful 
world. 

Reference as above is made with the hope 
that some person into whose hands this issue 
of the Red Envelope may chance to fall 
can supply the missing detail of his life so 
that reference may be made to the facts in 
a future issue of the Red Envelope. The 

31 



"G. M." will greatly appreciate the courtesy 
of such information. 




Geo. F. Nesbitt 
About 60 years of age 



Note : A future issue of the Red Envelope 
will deal with Mr. Edwin Allen's connection 
with Lester & Wasley, builders of envelope 
machinery, Norwich, Conn. 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager. 




The Hall-mark of Quality 



W$t Srin iEttolop? 



May, 1922 



Number 18 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In New York City 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
GEORGE H. REAY 

George Henry Reay was born in Droheda, 
County of Meath, in the north of Ireland, 
Aug. 31, 1837. He came to the United States 
in either 1854 or 1855. In appearance he was 
more Scotch than Irish, as his father came of 
Scotch extraction. He was a commanding 
figure, standing six feet three inches in height, 
and weighing over 200 
lbs., with dark eyes and 
hair, and sandy moustache 
and beard. Soon after his 
arrival in this country he 
called at the factory of 
West & Berlin in New 
York City, looking for 
work and was given a job. 
Mr. Berlin some years be- 
fore had bought in France 
an envelope machine in- 
vented by Rabbate, being- 
one of the two envelope 
machines exhibited at the London Exposi- 
tion in 1851 and described in No. 5 of The 




Geo. H. Reay 
when a young mt 



Red Envelope (pp. 10 to 12) and while it 
made envelopes it did not do very satisfactory 
work, and by its absolute contrariness wore 
everybody's nerves to a frazzle who had any- 
thing to do with it. Young Reay wrestled with 
it for about a year. Then he left the Berlin 
& Jones Env. Co. and found work in a small 
envelope factory in Brooklyn, operated by 
Butler & Bryan, where they were making 
envelopes by hand. A little later Butler & 
Bryan sold their business to Mr. Louis Neg- 
baur. Mr. Reay's mechanical mind was 
working and while making envelopes by hand 
he was dreaming of an envelope machine of 
his own, and Mr. Negbaur, appreciating the 
mechanical skill of young Reay, entered into an 
arrangement with him to build an envelope- 




Patent office Drawing, Reay Machine 39,702, Aug. 25. 1863 



folding machine, Reay furnishing the brains 
and mechanical skill and Mr. Negbaur the 
funds for its development. 

While this machine was not an unqualified 
success, still it was more successful than any 
envelope machine that could then be bought 
in the market. This machine was patented 
Aug. 25, 1863, No. 39702, and the patent was 
assigned to Louis Negbaur, and the machine 
was sold to the trade as the Negbaur machine. 

The arrangement with Mr. Negbaur was 
not entirely satisfactory to Mr. Reay and 
eventually they separated; he obtained other 
capital and completed the development of 
his machine on his own account and gave to 
the machine the name Reay, and by that name 
it became known all over the world, and for 
many years it led all other envelope-folding 
machines and after almost sixty years it can 
with truth be said that while it is a slow ma- 
chine and not a self-gummer, no machine has 
ever yet been invented that will fold certain 
kinds of the higher grades of paper better 
than the Reay machine. That is the highest 
praise which can be given the inventor, who 
was so far in advance of his day. 

For sometime after his machine was in- 
vented and put upon the market Reay simply 
sold the machines which were manufactured 
on his orders by Rau & Ankele, then by Rau 
& Ekstine, and later by Martin Rau, but 
Reay did not manufacture envelopes until 
sometime after his machines were on the mar- 
ket. At the time of the Centennial Exposi- 
tion in Philadelphia, Penn., in 1876, the 



claim was made that over 600 of the Reay 
machines were in operation in the United 
States, Canada and Europe. Later, after the 
patents had expired, the machines were manu- 
factured in New York by Emanuel Rau, 
brother of Martin Rau. 




THE REAY MACHINE 
Patent 39,702, Aug. 25, 1863 



Mr. Reay also invented and patented one 
of the earliest accurate and successful count- 
ing mechanisms for envelope machines, his 
patent No. 37,199 being granted Dec. 16, 
1862. His claim was as follows: "So dispos- 
ing the envelopes as the same are discharged 
from an envelope machine that one or more 
envelopes are pushed out beyond the edge of 



Furl 




Reay Counting Mechanism 
Patent 37,199, Deo. 16, 1862 



the regular pile at intervals of 24 or any other 
desired number of envelopes, substantially 
as for the purpose herein shown and de- 
scribed." 

Soon after he became of age he took out 
naturalization papers and became an adopted 
citizen of the United States. He was a mem- 
ber of the Volunteer Fire Department, running 
with the engine "Old Maid," and later was 
one of the Committeemen at the Annual 
Fireman's Ball. After the last ball the Com- 
mitteemen kept their gold badges as a me- 
mento of the grand windup but Mr. Reay's 



young son lost his father's gold badge, much 
to his regret. 

During the Civil War Mr. Reay was rejected 
because of varicose veins, so sent a substitute 
in his place. During the draft riots in New 
York City in 1863, he was located at 7 Spruce 
St. They barricaded the entrance to the 
building with cases of paper and armed the 
working force with muskets to defend the 
premises. From the above reference to cases 
of paper it would seem that at that date they 
had commenced the manufacture of envelopes. 

After he began the manufacture of envelopes 
he built up a very prosperous business but he 
did not accumulate much capital for he was 
a "Royal Spender" and in those days one of 
the large "overhead" expenses was for the 
entertainment of buyers who came to the 
city — and no man in the business had any- 
thing on Geo. H. Reay as an entertainer. In 
fact, in those days "entertainment" was as 
much a part of the business as operating the 
factory. 

Just what year he began to manufacture 
envelopes cannot now be determined but it 
is known definitely that he was manufac- 
turing envelopes for the trade in 1868 and in 
1870 he secured the contract for making 
stamped envelopes for the United States 
Government for four years, 1870-1874, under- 
bidding Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. who had held 
the contract since 1853, but on his failure to 
deliver the goods in sufficient quantities to 
meet the wants of the government this con- 
tract was annulled on July 16, 1870, and was 



awarded to Demsey & 0' Toole of New York 
City, who also failed to furnish the goods, and 
a new contract was entered into with Reay 
on Oct. 10, 1870, which continued in force 
till 1874, at which time the Plimpton Mfg. 
Co. of Hartford, Conn., secured the contract. 
(See Red Envelope, Oct., 1921, No. 14.) 

When Mr. Reay on Oct. 10, 1870, was again 
awarded the Government stamped envelope 
contract on which both he and Demsey & 
O' Toole had fallen down, he realized his in- 
ability to carry out its terms without assist- 
ance, and he entered into an arrangement with 
Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. who had been supply- 
ing the government with stamped envelopes 
from 1853 to 1870, and while Reay held the 
contract in his name the envelopes were 
manufactured in the plant of Geo. F. Nesbitt 
& Co., corner Pearl & Pine Streets. 

This contract expired June 30, 1874, and 
while Mr. Reay had been devoting his time to 
the government business and to the enter- 
tainment of visiting delegations from Wash- 
ington — who when they came to New York 
practically owned the city — (an expensive 
proposition) and besides his regular com- 
mercial business was being sadly neglected 
with the usual result and on Nov. 10, 1874, Mr. 
Reay assigned to John S. Graham, of Wool- 
worth & Graham, for the benefit of his credi- 
tors. On Jan. 22, 1875, Mr. Reay's creditors 
agreed to accept 50% in full settlement of 
their claims and the business was turned back 
to him for operation but the Receiver was not 
released until Oct. 23, 1875. 



During the year 1868, Geo. H. Reay married 
Miss Marie Antoinette Martine, who had 
worked for Berlin & Jones in 1863 and who was 
now his forelady in 1868, and that was one of 
the best and wisest things George H. Reay 
ever did for he not only got a good woman 
for a wife but a wonderfully brilliant business 
woman. In fact, she is the only woman in 
the envelope business who has left her mark on 
the industry, and she is entitled to a large 
place in the early days of envelope making, 
for it was always generally understood that 
for a large share of Mr. Reay's success his 
wife should be given credit. 

For the following sketch of her life the "G. 
M." is indebted to her son, Raphael Martine 
Reay of Brooklyn, New York. 

She came of old American stock, French, 
English and Holland Dutch. She started 
working to help her widowed mother when a 
young girl. 

Marie Antoinette Martine was born in 
White Plains, Westchester Co., New York, 
in December, 1838. Her father, John A. 
Martine, was a farmer of White Plains, New 
York, a descendant of Jean Martine and Anne, 
his wife, of St. Nazarre, France, who settled 
at New Bedford, Mass., 1687, and emigrated 
to New Rochelle, N. Y., in 1696. Her mother 
was Miriam Sneden of New York City, 
daughter of John Sneden, part owner and 
captain of a ship in the China trade. On 
Mar. 5, 1868, she "married the boss," as we 
might say. Mr. Reay died Mar. 14, 1876, 

10 



and his wife went back to manage the shop at 
77 John St., after a rest of only eight years — 
and by the way, "she was a better man in 
the envelope business than father ever dared 
to be." 

For seven or eight years she fought a hard 
up-hill fight, defending the Geo. H. Reay 
patents in the courts against infringers. Mrs. 
Reay's son, in furnishing the "G. M." with 
some of this detail, said: "Infringement was 
a household word in our family during all my 
boyhood years, and I suppose Marie A. Reay 
was about as popular down east as Zeppelins 
were in London during the world war." 

Mr. Reay died in 1876 when only 39 years 
of age and from then on the business was 
carried on by his widow. In 1880 she dis- 
covered that certain envelope manufacturers 
were using on their machines attachments 
which it was claimed were covered by the Geo. 
H. Reay patents on which no royalties had 
been or were being paid, and while the patents 
expired in 1880 she at once brought suit for 
back damages against two of the largest manu- 
facturers, and Justice Wheeler of the U. S. 
Circuit Court made a decision in 1884 in both 
cases in favor of Mrs. Reay. 

One of the infringers settled at once but 
the other fought the decision. Justice Wheeler 
appointed Timothy Griffin, master to deter- 
mine the amount of damages to which Mrs. 
Reay was entitled and in his report he placed 
the amount of damages at $130,074. After 
three years more of litigation the case was 



finally settled in 1887 by a compromise, and 
while no figures were ever made public, the 
general understanding was that while the 
amount finally paid was a very considerable 
sum, it was materially less than the award of 
the master, but it brought to an end trying 
and expensive litigation. 

The substance of the above statement is 
from an article in "Geyer's Stationer," March 
3, 1887. 

On Oct. 9, 1855, a patent 
for a machine for folding 
envelopes was granted to 
E. W. Goodale, of Clinton, 
Mass., No. 13,647, issued 
Oct. 9, 1855, this being the 
fourth patent granted in 
the United States for an 
envelope-folding machine. 
This machine was not 
a mechanical success — it 
was simply the work of a 
pioneer feeling his way 
into the unknown. From 
all I have been able to learn this machine 
seems never to have gotten beyond the experi- 
mental stage. It was simply an idea and there 
is no record that even one operating machine 
was ever built. The working patent office 
model seems to be as far as this machine was 
ever carried. 




E. W. Goodale, 1878 
when 60 years of age 



E. W. Goodale was born in Marlboro, 
Mass., May 25, 1818. One of seven children, 
he worked on the farm in early life and then 
learned the machinist's trade, finally becom- 



12 



ing the foreman over a force of about seventy- 
five men in the shop of the Clinton Coach Lace 
Co., Clinton, Mass. He afterwards worked 
for the Harris Comb Co., Clinton, Mass., 
making improvements in comb-making 
machinery. He went west to Clinton, Iowa, 
in 1868 where he established a machine shop. 
Later he became interested in a saw mill 
proposition at Dubuque, Iowa, and was then 
lost sight of. 

The story of the E. W. Goodale invention 
is introduced at this point as it played an 
important part in the Mrs. Geo. H. Reay 
patent litigation which was commenced in 
1880 and finally settled by compromise in 
1887. 

In the early years of the patent office, an 
inventor, in addition to the drawings and 
descriptions of his invention, was obliged to 
deposit with the patent office a miniature 
working model of his machine showing just 
what his machine would do and how it did it, 
but as the number of patent applications 
rapidly increased the question of space for 
the display of the enormous number of models 
became a serious matter and in 1870 or 1871 
the law was changed so that working models 
were no longer required. 

The old models which were in the patent 
office display rooms were allowed to remain 
until Oct., 1908, when the space being re- 
quired for the more pressing activities of the 
patent office the models were boxed up in 
2,525 wooden cases and put in storage in the 
corridors of the patent office building. 

13 




Envelope-Folding Machine 

E. W. Goodale 

Patent office drawing No. 13,647 

October 9, 1855 



Before this, however, in 1903, the "G. M." 
having in mind some day to write "The Story 
of the Envelope" had all the patent office 
models of early envelope machines photo- 
graphed so that we are able now in The Red 
Envelope to reproduce illustrations of these 
machines which have gone the way of all the 
works of man. Almost none of these machines 
are now in existence and no one now living even 
remembers what they were like. 

In December, 1903, W. E. Parkhurst, editor 
of the Clinton Daily Item, Clinton, Mass., in 
reply to a letter, wrote the "G. M." as follows: 

"Mr. E. W. Goodale was a relative of mine 
and as a boy I well remember the amount of 
talk and work that was put into that envelope 




Envelope-Folding Machine 

E. W. Goodale, Patent No 13,647, October 9, 1855 

Photograph of model in the Patent office, 

Washington, D. C. 



machine to get it into working condition, but 
it never amounted to anything. 

"I cannot tell much about it but I distinctly 
remember one day being asked to come into 
the room and 'see the animal eat grass,' as 
the inventor expressed himself. But some- 
how the animal lost his appetite for grass 
or anything else, for it absolutely refused to 
do anything." 

In acknowledging this letter the "G. M." 
said from his description of what happened 
at this demonstration he at once recognized 
some of the characteristics of even present- 

15 



day envelope machines, he had many times 
seen them act in just that way. 

Mr. Chas. H. Morgan, President of the 
Morgan Construction Co., and formerly Gen- 
eral Superintendent of the Washburn & Moen 
Mfg. Co., Worcester, Mass., which afterwards 
became one of the subsidiary companies of 
the American Steel & Wire Co., wrote the 
"G. M." on Dec. 19, 1903, as follows: 

"I knew Mr. E. W. Goodale of Clinton, 
intimately from 1848 to 1860. During two of 
the first years he was my boss while foreman in 
the machine shop of the Clinton Coach Lace 
Co. where I learned my trade as a machinist, 
and, as my boss, I remember him with feel- 
ings of kindness. 

"One of my shopmates, Mr. B. F. Rice, 
and myself were co-operating in the invention 
of a paper bag machine. Mr. Goodale became 
interested in paper bag machinery and the 
bag machine finally weaned him away from 
the envelope machine." 

Mr. Goodale's daughter, Mrs. C. E. Frink, 
of Clinton, Iowa, early in 1904 wrote as 
follows : 

' ' I was but a child at the time father worked 
on his envelope machine and while I knew 
what he was doing, I have no very distinct 
recollection. I think I am right in saying that 
his mind running in the envelope direction 
soon suggested ideas in regard to paper bag 
machines and as that seemed the larger 
field, his interest in the envelope machines soon 
grew cold. I have a recollection of a block of 

16 



wood the size of an envelope surface fitted 
with hinges. On this block he would place 
the cut-out envelope blank and by means of 
the hinges worked with strings he folded the 
envelope. 

"He never wanted to work on his machine 
unless someone was near to whom he could 
explain his ideas. If my mother was busy, I, 
as the oldest child, was pressed into the 
service. All that was necessary was to sit 
and listen and appear to understand. As a 
reward for this service I was often given the 
block with the hinges and strings to play 
with." 

This patent while never operative was 
finally bought years afterwards (so Mr. Henry 
C. Berlin of Berlin & Jones Env. Co. told 
the "G. M." in 1904) to show the "prior art" 
in their patent litigation with Mrs. Geo. H. 
Reay. 

While Mr. Goodale dreamed dreams which 
did not come true and did not make a success 
of the development of his envelope machine, 
he had something to do with the development 
of a man which was far better, for Chas. H. 
Morgan, one of his boy apprentices, to whom 
reference has been made, learned his trade as 
a machinist under him and he afterwards 
became one of the foremost engineers in the 
steel and wire industry of the United States and 
became the President of the American Society 
of Mechanical Engineers, the highest honor 
that can come to an engineer in the United 
States. 

During the year 1887 Mrs. Reay sold the 
77 John Street establishment to a combina- 




Mrs. Marie Antoinette Reay 
wife of Geo. H. Reay 



tion of envelope manu- 
facturers. She was told 
by the spokesman of the 
committee who called on 
her that if she did not 
enter into the arrange- 
ment which he proposed 
they would put her out of 
business by fair means or 
foul, and she, with her 
quick, womanly intuition 
and wit and her sweetest 
smile (and she had a sweet 
smile) made reply by say- 
ing, "Why not try the fair means first?" which 
resulted in her naming a price for her entire 
business just as it was, but fearing that 
the stock would not show as large an inventory 
value as she claimed, it was agreed that an 
inventory of stock should be taken and the 
purchase price would be based on inventory 
value. So an inventory was taken including 
as she said, "everything except the factory 
cat." The result was that she received about 
$3,000.00 more than her original offer. 

The expensive litigation to which Mrs. 
Reay had been subjected during these years of 
contest in the courts had compelled her to be 
frugal in her living expenses and when the 
litigation was ended and she had received 
the funds in settlement of infringement 
damages and had in addition received the 
purchase price for the sale of her business she 
retired with a modest competence. 

She had to be both mother and father to 
her two boys, one of whom died young, while 



at the same time she had to be "on the job" 
at the factory during business hours, super- 
intending the work of the factory and her 
travelling salesmen. She was always very 
popular with her salesmen and the trade. 
She was a "waywise" woman who knew the 
world in which she had to do business. None 
other could have given such "fatherly" advice 
to her growing son Raphael: 

Tell the truth. 

Pay as you go. 

Live within your means. 

Keep out of debt. 

Never kiss the maid when 
you can kiss the mistress. 

Don't drink beer and whis- 
key in saloons ■ — it's bad 
stuff; if you and your 
friends must drink, do it 
at home; bring your 
friends, male and female, 
I would like to meet them. 

Mrs. Reay died in New York City, Apr. 24, 
1901, and is buried in Kinsico Cemetery near 
White Plains, N. Y. 

The following quotations are from a letter 
dated Sept. 10, 1916, from Mrs. Reay's son, 
Raphael, in reply to a letter asking for a 
photograph of Mr. Reay. 

"I have a photo of father both fore and aft. 
This was taken for an enamored lady friend 
who insisted on having his picture, so he 
gave her one, i. e., showing the back of his 

19 




Mrs. Marie A. Reay 
later in life 

home with you. 



head, which 
humor. 



also shows he had the sense of 





Geo. H. Reay 
"aft" 



"Then there is a family group, Very rare,' 
as collectors say, of father and mother with 
other friends. 







- 


i& 


* *' t 


J 


^giAtt 


hti 


■"' v^, 








um 




Htf.f 4 


\ 


11m 


j.. 


\ 


^-- /n^ 


*t_ 


I 


* 







Mr. Reay is in the center with Mrs. Reay seated at the extreme right. 

The gentleman at the extreme left is Geo. F. Nesbitt. The 

other members of the group cannot now be identified. 

20 



"I also have the watch and chain which Mr. 
Louis Negbaur gave my father when they 
separated — a unique piece, inasmuch as it 
has never been pawned. I also have an oak 
club that father took away from a gentleman 
running with a rival engine company in those 
good old days of the volunteer fire depart- 
ment in New York City. 

"I enclose one of my father's business cards 
with picture of envelope machine on back 
(the only one I know of). Let me call your 
attention to the piano stool of the machine 
operator. Don't laugh at the poor little corn 
sheller — it was good in its time. 




CAPACITY-3,000 per Hour. 



"I also send the patent papers for an en- 
velope patented by Geo. H. Reay, design 
2137, July 18, 1865, which owing to its volume 



the heavy parchment sheet measures 20 x 30 
inches with steel engraved patent office 
building, seals, ribbons, etc. It has stood by 
me in Europe, when a high well-born docu- 
ment (which officials couldn't read) was 
needed to smooth the way. It once opened 
the railroad gates between Pompeii and 
Castellamare — it's some paper." 

Mr. Reay's son, to whom the "G. M." is 
indebted for some of the detail of this story, 
is an artist, and is also a collector of curios 
and antiques, and as such has wandered into 
many of the out-of-the-way places of Europe. 

In October, 1912, in the city of Hall, near 
Innsbruck, Austria, while making some selec- 
tions in the store of a dealer in antiques, he 
noticed a gentleman and lady who seemed 
to have an interest in the selections he was 
making. 

After having decided on his purchases he 
left the store, planning to return in the after- 
noon to complete the purchase, make pay- 
ment for the goods and take them with him, 
but when he returned the dealer informed him 
there were certain articles which he had 
selected which he could not let him have, and 
on asking the reason why, the dealer said: 

"Did you notice the gentleman and lady 
who were in the store this morning when you 
were here?" He said he did, but only gave 
them a passing notice. The dealer then 
said: "After you went out the gentleman 
said: 'What was the American buying?' 
and I showed him the things you had selected 

22 



and he said he wanted to buy some of them 
himself and I could not refuse to sell them for 
that was the Archduke Francis Ferdinand." 

This was the man and woman whose assassi- 
nation on June 28, 1914, at Serajevo was 
(not the cause) but the excuse for bringing 
on the world war. 

In Jan., 1867, there was granted to Geo. 
H. Reay Patent 61,686, for a stamping or em- 
bossing mechanism. 

"This invention relates to a machine which 
is intended particularly for embossing or 
stamping the blanks of envelopes or other 
articles of paper, * * * * which can be readily 
attached to an envelope machine, the cam K in 
that case being mounted on the main shaft of 
said envelope machine in such a manner that 
the blanks for the envelopes while passing from 
the gumming to the folding mechanism have 
to pass the stamping and embossing mechan- 
ism and are exposed to its action." 

The device was a very simple one and yet a 
very broad claim was granted on it. The 
claim reads as follows: 

"The method herein described of producing 
the blow required for stamping or embossing 
consisting of a fly wheel or other equivalent 
device which after having received an impulse 
produces the desired action of the punch 
substantially set forth." 

The United Stamp Co. Herald of Chicago, 
Illinois, one of the leading Philatelic publi- 
cations in the country, said, in referring to 
this stamping machine of Reay's: 



"Patent No. 61,686, Jan. 29, 1867, relating 
as it does to mechanics, would not at first 
thought have a place in this publication were 
it not for the name of its inventor, George H. 
Reay. No finer or better impressions and 
printing have appeared on envelopes anywhere 
than upon those produced by Reay during 
1870-1874, and it was due to the compar- 
atively simple mechanism produced by him 
which gave his work the high character it 
now sustains." 




Photograph of Patent Office drawing of George H. Reay's 
Stamping and Embossing Machine, Jan. 29, 1867. 

JAMES LOGAN, 



General Manager. 



24 




The Hall-mark of Quality 



®Jj# Srii lEttolopr 



June, 1922 



Number 19 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope-Machine 
Building Industry 

In Norwich, Connecticut 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Allen Mfg. Co. 1865 

Holmes & Ely 1873 

Lester & Wasley 1874 

Lester & Wasley Co. 1910 




ALLEN MFG. CO. ENVELOPE FACTORY 
Norwich, Conn.. 1865 



The "Story of the Envelope" would not be 
complete without a chapter devoted to the 
part taken by Edwin Allen, the Allen Mfg. 
Co., and their successors, Lester & Wasley, 
and the Lester & Wasley Co., of Norwich, 
Conn., in the construction of envelope-making 
machinery. 

Edwin Allen,* of the Allen Mfg. Co., Nor- 
wich, Conn., was a man with a wonderfully 
fertile mechanical mind. He was granted 
over forty patents and the field of his studies 
in mechanical invention covered a wide range 
of subjects. 

On Sept. 4, 1840, only four years after the 
patent office had been made a separate sub- 
department of the government, he was granted 
patent 1767 for a "stencil plate;" and showing 
that his mind was not entirely bound up in 
machinery problems, in 1849 he was granted 
a patent for "Improvement in Educational 
Tables." Besides, he made many improve- 
ments in machinery for which no applications 
for patents were ever made. Early in the 
life of the envelope industry he gave thought 
to the invention of machinery for making 
envelopes. 

Among the many inventions for which he 
was granted patents are the following: 

1854 Machinery for stone carving 

1854 Veneer Polisher 

1856 Clock calendar (2 patents) 



*Note: For further detail concerning Edwin 
Allen, see Red Envelope No. 17, April, 1922. 



1862 Movable bed for forming and planing 

machines 

1863 Paper feeder improvements 

1863 Gunstock machine (Wright & Allen) 
(3 patents) 

1866 Machine for making envelopes (Patent 

57,617) 

1867 Drawing and twisting head for spinning 

machines (Potter & Allen) 
1867 Door lock (Allen & Brady) 
1867 Mechanical movement 

1867 Printing press 

1868 Printing press 

1869 Envelope gummer (Patent 92,558) 
1869 Hearse 

1872 Printers' Chase 

1872 Feed board for printing press 

1872 Machine for feeding envelopes (Patent 

133,184) 

1873 Clutch 

1873 Feed box for envelope machine (Patent 
142,606) 

1873 Inking apparatus for Rotary printing 

press 

1874 Envelope machine (Allen & Lester) 

(Patent 153,920) 

1875 Wood planing machine (Hills & Allen) 
1877 Spool printing machine 

1882 Machine for turning spools (Allen & 

Morrison) 
1884 Cutter head (Morrison & Allen) 
1884 Spool feeder 
1884 Machine for braid rolls 




Edwin Allen, 1850 
39 years of age 



1884 Machine for cutting off spool blanks 

(Allen & Morrison) 

1885 Circular saw 
Edwin Allen was born 

in Windham, Conn., Mar. 
27, 1811, and died in 
Mystic, Conn., Jan. 4, 
1891, aged 79 years. In 
1835 he was engaged in the 
furniture business in Nor- 
wich, Conn. Later he 
moved to Glastonbury, 
Conn., and engaged in the 
clock business. He then 
moved to Newark, N. J., 
still in the clock business. 
Later he returned to South 
Windham, Conn., and while living at Wind- 
ham he made what has been looked upon as 
his greatest contribution in the line of mechan- 
ical invention, i. e., the machine for cutting 
wood block type (more fully described in 
Red Envelope No. 17). 
But as so often happens, 
inventive genius and busi- 
ness capacity do not always 
go together and his business 
venture did not prove suc- 
cessful and after his failure 
the plant and equipment 
went into the hands of 
Ackerman & Miller and 
J. G. Cooley, proprietor of 
the Printers Warehouse, 
New York City. 

Mr. Allen was the type of mechanic who was 
much sought by men who had mechanical 




Edwin Allen, 1881 
70 years of age 



problems to solve, but who, while they might 
have an idea, had not the mechanical skill to 
develop what they had in their minds. (It 
is claimed that the first velocipede built in 
the United States was built in his shop at 
Norwich, Conn.) 

The firm of Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. was one 
of the largest printing and publishing houses 
in New York City and they knew Mr. Allen 
as an ingenious mechanic, the inventor of 
the machine for cutting wood type which they 
used in their printing business. They knew 
he had also been working on paper feeders 
and while carrying out their contracts with 
the government for making stamped envelopes 
with some very crude machinery, entirely 
inadequate to meet the demands of their fast 
growing business, they called upon Mr. Allen 
to develop for them an envelope-making 
machine. This was after they had been mak- 
ing stamped envelopes for a number of years 
and the business was growing beyond their 
capacity to produce. 

Mr. Allen went to Newark, N. J., and in 
the shop of Ezra Gould he built the first 
stamped envelope machine for Geo. F. Nesbitt 
& Co. of New York City. These folding 
machines had Allen's printing press feeding 
attachment, later covered by Patent No. 
39,872, Sept. 15, 1863. In addition they had 
an elevating mechanism for keeping the blanks 
at the proper height and they also had a print- 
ing attachment and the device for embossing 
the stamps. 

This is believed to have been the first so- 
called "Stamper," or envelope-folding machine 



with printing and embossing attachment and 
was the forerunner in the development of 
printing and folding envelope machines — in 
fact the object lesson to Horace J. Wickham 
and Edward Pittman in inventing the 
machines which some sixteen years later they 
brought out and which were used for so many 
years by the United States Stamped Envelope 
Works, at Hartford, Conn., many of which 
are still in operation in the plant of the Middle 
West Supply Co., the present contractors with 
the Government for making stamped en- 
velopes at Dayton, Ohio. 

It would appear that no patents were ever 
granted on the Allen machine operated 
by Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co., and so no model 
or patent office drawings are available to 
show just what the machine was like, and 
these machines, like the men and women 
who operated them, have all passed away and 
for the meagre description that we have we 
must trust to the faulty memory of man. It 
would appear that no infringement suits were 
ever brought against these machines and the 
theory is that Allen patents on the Rotary 
printing and embossing press and feeding 
device was part of their protection and that 
an arrangement had been entered into by 
which some of the earlier inventions covered 
by patents owned by other parties were used 
in this envelope machine or that they pinned 
their faith for the protection of their invention 
on the lock and key. 

This later suggestion does not seem to be 
the correct one for had there been no patent 
protection on this machine it would have been 



in operation long enough to have made the 
invention public property and it would have 
been available for the Plimpton Mfg. Co.'s 
use in 1874, when they secured the contract 
for making stamped envelopes; but it was not 
available and until they brought out the Wick- 
ham machine they had to print and emboss 
the envelopes on one machine, the Allen 
Rotary printing press, and fold them on the 
Reay envelope machine. 

In checking up these early patents as to the 
date when an invention was actually made 
we labor under this disadvantage. In those 
early days when the patent was granted it 
did not give the date when the application 
was filed, at which time protection began and 
then as now, while the inventor was perfecting 
and developing his invention, he held it in the 
patent office as long as he could so that some 
inventions being protected by the application 
were in use years before the patents were 
issued by the patent office. 

In an article in The Philatelic Gazette in 
July and August, 1913, by L. G. Quacken- 
bush, is shown a section of the folding room 
of the Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. factory in 1861, 
in which are shown some of the machines 
they were then operating with a quite de- 
tailed description of the machine. No enve- 
lope makers now living can remember seeing 
an envelope-folding machine like those 
shown in the illustration. It is possible that 
the basis of this machine might have been the 
foreign machine which Nesbitt & Co. are 
known to have bought and on which Mr. 
Allen may have grafted his inventions and 
improvements. 




Section of the Envelope-Folding Room 
Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 



The feeding device described is certainly 
Allen's Improved Paper Feeder, Patent 
39,872, Sept. 15, 1863, by which the paper 
was fed by steel fingers, etc. 

Mr. Wm. D. Slater, who began in the en- 
velope business in 1862, and who from 1864 to 
1910 was superintendent of the Morgan Env. 
Co. Div., and who at the ripe age of 83 is 
still connected with the business, being one 
of the consulting mechanical engineers of 
the United States Envelope Co., told the 
"G. M." in 1921, that Reay folding machines 
and the Allen Rotary printing and embossing 
press, nicknamed "The Jumper," which 
printed and embossed the flat blank, were the 



basis of the Plimpton Mfg. Co. equipment 
when they secured the first contract for mak- 
ing stamped envelopes for the United States 
government in 1874. They could not procure 
any of the machines which were operated by 
Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co., and so had to do the 
work on two separate machines. Would they 
have done this if the inventions on the 
machines operated by Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co. 
had not been protected by patents? It would 
seem not, for when this contract was taken 
jointly by the Plimpton Mfg. Co. and the 
Morgan Env. Co. they were hard put to for 
machinery to meet the requirements of the 
government and ransacked the country to 
buy such second-hand Reay machines as they 
could find. 

While building these machines in Newark, 
N. J., for Geo. F. Nesbitt & Co., Mr. Allen's 
mechanical mind had been at work and when 
this job was finished he returned to Norwich 
and worked at his trade as a machinist, but 
his mind was on another envelope-folding 
machine. 

In 1865 or 1866 he organized the Allen Mfg. 
Co. to manufacture the new Allen Rotary 
Envelope machines for their own use, as they 
intended to embark in the manufacture of 
envelopes (Mr. Allen, Mr. John Turner and 
Gen. W. G. Ely, being the partners in the 
enterprise) . 

This new envelope machine was on the 
rotary principle and comparatively few 
machines were sold on the market — in fact, 
few were ever built. 




FACTORY OF THE ALLEN MFG. CO. 
Norwich, Conn., 1865 — 1869 



Daniel M. Lester (afterwards of Lester & 
Wasley), then a young man, worked as a 
mechanic with Mr. Allen in the construction 
of these machines. 

One of the Allen Mfg. Co.'s old cutters, Mr. 
S. H. Mead, who died Dec. 
12, 1917, could remember 
little about the machines 
except that they were built 
on the Rotary principle 
with several plungers and 
were always out of order 
(old envelope operators 
will at once recognize this 
ancient machine as being 
of the true lineage of a real 
envelope machine). Mr - s - H - Mead 

Allen's cutter, 1878 
Mr. M. M. Whittemore, 29 years of age 

who for many years was 

treasurer of the Norwich & Worcester R. R. 




12 




Photograph of Edwin Allen's Rotary Envelope Machine, Model in the 
Patent Office, Washington, D. C, No. 57,617, Aug. 28, 1866 




From drawings filed with the application of Edwin Allen, 
Patent No. 57,617, Aug. 28, 1866 

13 



Co., when a young man, in Feb., 1868, became 
a clerk for the Allen Mfg. Co. and for about a 
year solicited orders throughout New Eng- 
land for business envelopes with card printed 
in the corner. 

While they were manufacturing envelopes 
Mr. Allen devoted much time to the further 




Allen Rotary Printing Press, nicknamed The Jumpe 



development of the Allen Rotary Printing 
Press, his thought being that by supplying 
the envelope with the business card in the 
corner they could develop a large business, 
but the business world was not yet ready 
for this innovation and the results were 



disappointing. The business did not grow; 
and, becoming discouraged, they gave up the 
manufacture of envelopes on March 1, 1869, 
and gave their whole attention to the construc- 
tion of special machinery of one kind and 
another, including envelope-folding machines 
and the Allen Rotary printing machine, one 
of which, the gift of the Raynor & Perkins 
Env. Co. of New York City, is now in the 
museum of the United States Env. Co., at 
their general offices on Cypress St., Spring- 
field, Mass. 

Mr. Allen spent some years perfecting his 
rotary folder and rotary printing press, and on 
July 4, 1868, he sent one of each to England 
for demonstration purposes. It was not, 
however, a success and finally the machines 
were returned and broken up. 

In The Red Envelope No. 7, Chapter 4, 
October, 1916, much space was given to 
the reproduction of patent- office models and 
operative machines with descriptions of the 
patents granted to Thomas V. Waymouth, 
which patents had been assigned to the Berlin 
& Jones Env. Co. of New York City. To 
make the story continuous we refer still further 
to the inventions of Thos. V. Waymouth. 
Waymouth's inventions covered by Patent 
No. 55,562, June 12, 1866, and by re-issue 
No. 2366, Sept. 25, 1866, and re-issue 2616, 
May 21, 1867, had a number of new and orig- 
inal features, one of which was the blank 
separator device employed. 

In the illustration of these three patents 
Waymouth shows and describes weak springs 
which bear down on the ends of said blanks 

15 



causing them to bend as the pickers raised 
them up. These were simply thin pieces of 
flat spring arranged to act on the flap of the 
blanks in exactly the same manner as the 
separators are now made on modern envelope 
machines. 




Folding Bed and Wings, Photo of Thos. V. Waymouth, Model in 
the Patent Office, Washington, D. C, No. 71,252, Nov. 19, 1867 



The separation of the blanks was further 
assisted by means of a revolving brush located 
at the back of the pile of blanks (see Fig. 5). 
This brush wheel was operated by means of a 
belt and as the top blank was raised from the 
pile the brush wheel acted upon the edge of 
the blanks so that should more than one blank 
escape the action of the flat steel separators, 
the wheel would brush them off and they 
would fall back on the pile. 

16 




Patent Office Drawing Separating Device, Thomas V. Waymouth, 
Patent No. 55,562, re-issue No. 2,366, Sept. 25, 1866 



Another feature was the method of gum- 
ming the seal flaps. Up to this time the seal 
flaps were gummed by hand by spreading and 
overlapping the blanks, leaving uncovered that 
portion of the flap to be gummed, the gum 
then being applied with a brush just as hand- 
folded envelopes are now gummed. 

In Waymouth's patent he covered a sealing 
device described as below, being claim 6. 

"Gumming the seal flap of an envelope or 
similar blank by a gummer which performs 
the double office of gumming the blank and 
raising it or holding it stationary in combina- 
tion with suitable mechanism to receive the 
blanks one after another after they have been 
gummed and carry away such blanks so 
gummed in such a manner that gummed 



portions will be prevented from lying upon 
or overlapping each other while drying for 
the purpose set forth." 




Photo of Thomas V. Waymouth Model, in the Patent Office, 

Washington, D. C, Gumming and Printing Machine No. 55,562, 

June 12, 1866 



The above is the basis of all sealing ma- 
chines, even today this method of doing the 
sealing would seem to be self evident, but 
he was granted these broad claims and his 
claim in the re-issue patent of May 21, 1867, 
No. 2616, gave the inventor a practical mon- 
opoly, for his claim 6 certainly covered not 
only the middle of the road but, in addition, 
both sides of the road ; and with all the wonder- 
ful development since then it would be diffi- 
cult to get past this claim without irfringe- 
ment. Another novel feature of this inven- 
tion was a gumming arrangement — instead of 
having a traveling gum roll the machine had 
a traveling gum box. This was reciprocated 
back and forth under the picker so that the 
metal roll of the gum box came in contact 
with the seal picker during the revolution of 

18 



the machine. This, of course, in view of 
modern development was clumsy and slow 
but it did the job, even though in a crude 
way. We need to remember that these early 
pioneers had no "prior art" to help them. 
They were laying charts over the then un- 
charted ocean of invention. They were not 
improving what some other inventor had done 
before them. They were creating, as someone 
has said, "making something out of nothing." 
Other inventions by Waymouth are described 
in Red Envelope No. 7, October, 1916. 
His name appeared in the New York City 
Directory in 1865 as Engineer, No. 134 Wil- 
liam St., Berlin & Jones Env. Co.'s address, 
but in no other year (read page 24, Red En- 
velope No. 7, October, 1916). 

It would seem from the meagre records 
available that soon after the Waymouth 
patents were issued, Mr. Allen having estab- 
lished a reputation for building envelope 
machinery, the Berlin & Jones Env. Co. 
entered into an arrangement with the Allen 
Mfg. Co. to build under license the Way- 
mouth machine which was then known as the 
"seal flap gumming and envelope-folding 
machine," and they were building these 
machines under contract when financial 
troubles caused the assignment of the Allen 
Mfg. Co. in the fall of 1873. 

In 1873 Edwin Allen was granted two 
patents, both being assigned to the Allen Mfg. 
Co. 

No. 138,980, May 20, 1873, for a clutch. 

No. 142,606, Sept. 9, 1873, a feed box for 
envelope machines. 



19 



Late in 1873, the affairs of the Allen Mfg. 
Co. not being in a prosperous condition, they 
made assignment to Holmes & Ely who, in 
turn, on Feb. 18, 1874, sold the plant and 
equipment to Lester & Wasley, a new firm 
organized by two young 
mechanics who had been 
in the employ of the Allen 
Mfg. Co. since 1867, and 
who were giving evidence 
of mechanical ability. 




Daniel M. Lester 
When a young man 



Daniel M. Lester was 
born in Norwich, Conn., 
June 11, 1843. In early 
life he lived in Patchaug, 
Conn., but returned to 
Norwich about 1862 and 
worked at his trade as a 
machinist for Willoughby 

& Crowe] 1, until he began 

work with the Allen Mfg. 

Co. He died in Nor- 
wich, Conn., July 11, 

1910, aged 67 years. Mr. 

Lester represented his 

district in the Connecticut 

Legislature in 1887 to 

1889. 




Daniel M. Lester 
Later in life 



Frederick R. Wasley was 
born in London, England, 
Mar. 1, 1845. His family 
came to Boston when he 
was six months old. He 
learned the machinists' trade at Manchester, 
N. H., worked in Boston for the Wickersham 
Nail Co., and when that firm moved to Nor- 



20 




Frederick R. Wasley 



wich, Conn., he went with them and later 
(1867) he entered the employ of the Allen 
Mfg. Co. He died at 
Norwich, Conn., Sept. 15, 
1910, aged 65 years. Mr. 
Wasley was a member of 
the Board of Aldermen of 
the City of Norwich in 
1885-86, when the new 
firm of Lester & Wasley 
was organized in Feb., 
1874, and^during that year 
they built stamping presses 
for the Morgan Env. Co. 
who held the Government 
stamped envelope contract. 
They also entered into a contract with Berlin 
& Jones Env. Co. to continue to build exclu- 
sively for them the Waymouth machine under 
a license from the Berlin & Jones Env. Co. 
who controlled the Waymouth inventions, 
patents 55,562 (June 12, 1866), and re-issue 
2616 (May 21, 1867), 58,327 (Sept. 25, 1866), 
and re-issue 2787 (Oct. 22, 1867), and 
71,252 (Nov. 22, 1867). Aug. 11, 1874, patent 
153,920 was granted to Daniel M. Lester and 
Edwin Allen, Mr. Allen assigning his rights to 
Mr. Lester. 

June 1, 1876, the Berlin & Jones Env. Co. 
granted permission to Lester & Wasley to 
build for the Plimpton Mfg. Co. envelope 
machines similar to those they were building 
for Berlin & Jones Env. Co. for the additional 
price of $300.00 each, making the complete 
price of these commercial machines $900.00 
each. These machines were evidently ordered 




Berlin & Jones 
Seal Flap Gumming and Folding Envelope Machine 



for the Stamped Envelope Department which 
had in 1874 secured the four-year contract 
from the Government for making the govern- 
ment stamped envelopes. 

Nov. 18, 1879, patent 221,835, Apr. 6, 1880, 
patent 226,331, were issued to Daniel M. 
Lester for improvements in envelope machines. 
By this time the Waymouth machine had been 
materially improved by the work of Mr. 
Lester, the inventions covered by his patents, 
besides many other improvements which had 
not been covered by patents, being embodied 
in the machine they were then building, 
and to this new machine had been given the 

22 



name "The Leader," the first completed 
machine with the new name having been 
shipped to the Morgan Env. Co., May 22, 
1879. 




Photo of Allen & Lester Model in the Patent Office, Washington, D. C. 
for which patent 153,920 was issued Aug. 11, 1874 



On Jan. 26, 1880, Berlin & Jones Env. Co. 
entered into a new contract with Lester & 
Wasley, from which we quote as below: 

"Said Lester & Wasley having heretofore made 
under the said Letters patents held and owned by 
said Berlin & Jones Env. machinery known as the 
'Seal Flap Gumming and Envelope Machine' hereby 
agrees to furnish Berlin & Jones such machines for 
use in Berlin & Jones envelope plant at price of 
$500.00 and $600.00 each. Such machines as sold 
to others could be sold at increased price and profits 
divided. Said Lester & Wasley having built an 

23 



envelope machine embracing or covering all the 
improvements described in the several Letters 
patents and specifications referred to in the first 
and second clauses of this agreement which machine 
is called 'The Leader' hereby agrees to build such 
machines capable of making at the rate of 75 per 
minute to No. 63^2 and 50 per minute to No. 10 and 
to furnish said improved machines during the term of 
said agreement to Berlin & Jones for their own use 
at price of not exceeding $700.00 and $800.00. Sale 
to others at price to be agreed upon, Lester & Was- 
ley and Berlin & Jones to divide such profits as 
agreed. 

"Lester & Wasley not to build for others except 
United States Stamped Envelope Works, such fold- 
ing and stamping machines as they have heretofore 
sold them, subject now to Berlin & Jones' royalty. 

"Lester & Wasley to reserve the right to sell them 
also circular envelope machines such as they have 
built which fold and stamp envelopes but do not gum 
seal flap subject to no royalty." 




Lester & Wasley "Leader" 
Envelope-Folding Machine 1879 

24 



Lester & Wasley at that time (1880) were 
building Pittman envelope machines for the 
Plimpton Mfg. Co. of Hartford, Conn. 

While the Lester & Wasley machine has 
been greatly improved in minor details since 
it was first put upon the market, it is es- 
sentially the same machine. 

From a letter to Chas. J. Cohen, of Phila- 
delphia, Pa., Jan. 30, 1880, we quote: 

"In reply to yours of the 29th ordering one enve- 
lope machine would say we are now building two 
kinds, one the same as you have at $900 each and our 
improved machine 'LEADER' at $1200 each for 
letter size, this machine has a counter attached and 
is run at the rate of 4500 per hour. We have built 
fifteen of these machines for the Morgan Envelope 
Co. of Springfield, Mass., in the past year and they 
claim to have made as high as 43,000 on one of 
them in ten hours and that they can easily average 
40,000 in ten hours. ..." 

The builder of a machine who builds for 
general sale and who does not actually operate 
the machine is usually at a disadvantage with 
the manufacturer who builds his own machin- 
ery. This is particularly true of envelope- 
folding machinery where so many thicknesses 
and variety of paper are made into envelopes 
requiring varied speed, different kinds of gum, 
and in addition the climatic changes, which 
have much to do with the successful handling 
of paper in the operation of envelope machines. 
On a dry snappy day when there is little mois- 
ture in the air and paper, the machine may run 
well, while on the next day when the air and 
paper are charged with moisture and there is 
absolutely no life in the paper, the operator 
will then have all kinds of trouble. 

25 



In addition, suggestions for improvements 
in machinery come usually from those who are 
operating machines rather than from those 
who are building machinery from drawings — 
those who operate the machines know the 
problems to be overcome. The result is that 
after a machine has been built and installed, 
usually many adjustments have to be made 
before the machine is in successful operation. 

When the firm of Lester & Wasley began to 
build the "Seal Flap Gumming and Folding 
Envelope Machine" under the Waymouth 
patents, the first purchaser, other than the 
Berlin & Jones Env. Co. who controlled the 
patents, was the Morgan Env. Co., Spring- 
field, Mass. (this being their first self- 
gummer) . 

This was a most fortunate connection for 
Lester & Wasley, for Mr. W. D. Slater, Super- 
intendent of the Morgan Env. Co., furnished 
the helpful connection between building and 
operating the machine, to which reference, has 
been made, and many improvements made in 
the machine were suggested by Mr. Slater, 
who, in operating the machines had the practi- 
cal manufacturing experience which Lester 
& Wasley lacked, and out of this connection 
grew a friendship which lasted through life. 

In a letter to the "G. M." from Mr. Slater, 
dated Jan. 30, 1916, writing about the early 
development of the Morgan Env. Co., he said, 
"About 1869 the business which had grown 
steadily was moved to the corner of Main and 
Worthington Sts. More Reay machines were 
bought and some years later they bought a 

26 



machine built by Lester & Wasley of Norwich, 
Conn., under a license from the Berlin & Jones 
Env. Co. of New York. This was the first 
self-gummer which we had. While this was 
in some respects a decided improvement on 
the Reay machine, when we came to run it, I 
found a good many particulars in which it 
could be improved. Mr. Lester used to come 
to see us frequently and he noted very care- 
fully the suggestions I made and the improve- 
ments I had installed on the machines we had 
bought from them. 

"Embodying these changes they brought 
out, in 1879, the 'Leader' machine for which I 
feel that I am partly responsible." 

Any person knowing the natural modesty of 
Mr. Slater will accept this statement at 100% 
value. 

In addition the "G. M." can bear testimony 
when in 1882 he had an order placed with 
Lester & Wasley for four "Leader" folding 
machines for Logan & Lowe Env. Co., Wor- 
cester, Mass. In calling attention to the good 
points in his machine Mr. Lester acknowl- 
edged the friendship and helpfulness of Mr. 
Slater in its development. 

In the early 80' s Lester & Wasley estab- 
lished in London an agency for the sale of 
their machine in the British market and they 
were having all kinds of trouble on account 
of the inability of the manufacturers to 
operate, so they turned to their friend Slater 
and asked him to go to London to help them 
out. 

27 



The correspondence which follows tells its 
own story. 

Springfield, Aug. 13, 1885. 
Friend Lester: 

Yours of the 12th was duly received. Thanks. 
I telegraphed you that I would go on the 29th. I 
don't see how I can come to Norwich unless I go 
the 28th to New York via Norwich for one of my men 
is gone on his vacation so as to return before I leave. 

I want to see you sure before I go, so if I should 
leave here the 28th I would have four or five hours 
in Norwich with you and then we can go to New York 
in the evening. 

I suppose you know the London party well enough 
so that you think they would not require anything 
unreasonable. 

You know I can put their machine in shape to do 
as well as yours, everything being equal. Send me 
name of boat and line that I am to go on. 

W. D. Slater. 

The Kirby St. Engineering Works, 
31 & 32 Kirby St., Hatton Garden, 
London, E. C, England, 

Sept. 12, 1885. 
Messrs. Lester & Wasley: 
Gents: 

I arrived here safe but not very well; had a hard 
voyage, sick all the time. I find your machine in 
Lawrence's store. I see no trouble except some 
adjusting. In this shop there are four new machines 
which are built in first-class shape but think they have 
altered shape of cams some, so I have taken the 
cams you sent over and put them on one of these 
machines which is a square envelope (our Baronial 
No. 4) which they said they could not make them 
drop and I find that when they altered size of 
machine they did not understand making other nec- 
essary alterations. 

I hope to start it in a few hours. This Mr. Rich- 
mond told Mr. Lawrence that the machines would 
not last one year running at 100 per minute, so when 

28 



I had got the new cams on I started it to show the 
movement and they were very 
much surprised and were 
gentlemen enough to acknowl- 
edge the corn; they were very 
anxious to know all about the 
adjustment, etc. 

I am teaching a young fel- 
low to run the machine — 
think he will do well. I have 
got other letters to write, so 
I will say no more at present 
for the American mail closes 
soon. I shall sail for home on 
the 29th, probably. 

Yours respectfully, 

W. D. Slater. 




W. D. Slater, 1875 
36 years of age 



London, England. 
Sept. 16, 1885. 
Messrs. Lester & Wasley: 
Gents: 

Throw your hats up for I have conquered the worst 
men in London. The facts are there is a party by 
name of Fenner & Appleton who have a machine 
of their own which is good for nothing, have been 
prejudiced against the Leader, saying that they, the 
envelopes, could not be dropped in the chain at a 
high speed nor they could not be made to dry, neither 
could the gumming be done to suit them for they are 
very particular, but after five days, till twelve o'clock 
at night, I have succeeded in satisfying them in 
every particular and they have ordered the machine 
sent to their place. They were here in this shop 
(four of them) all the afternoon with all sorts of 
paper, some of it was very bad, and they were much 
disappointed that they could not stick me; the d — 
Yankee was too much for them. I wrote you in my 
other letter that the machines were well built and 
finished, many parts being nickel plated, but they did 
not understand the adjustments, especially the 
counter, but they are on the right track now and will 
probably have no further trouble. The party of 
envelope manufacturers referred to are the ones who 
Mr. Lawrence wished especially to suit, so I feel that 

29 



no one will have occasion to regret the expense main- 
tained in sending me here. I feel, myself, that I 
shall not rob anyone in accepting what was agreed 
on, etc. There will be other parties here today to 
see the machine. Mr. Lawrence says he has four 
other places for me to go to instruct in running the 
"Leader." 

Yours, 

W. D. Slater. 

Springfield, Mass. 

Oct. 12, 1885. 
Messrs. Lester & Wasley, 
Gents: 

I have to inform you of my safe return from 
London, also that my visit there has been very 
satisfactory to me and I hope may prove beneficial 
to you. I will not write at length to you now, 
hoping to see you here. If you do not think of 
coming here I will write you all particulars. Please 
advise. I enclose two letters from parties in London 
which will explain themselves. Mr. Lawrence has 
settled with me, it being his wish. 

Yours respectfully, 

W. D. Slater. 
P. S. There ought to be many machines sold in 
London. 

Copy of Letter Written the "G. M." 
by Mr. Slater 

Springfield, Mass. 

Jan. 30, 1916. 
James Logan, General Manager, 
United States Envelope Co., 
Worcester, Mass. 
My Dear Mr. Logan — 
AN ENVELOPE EXPERIENCE IN ENGLAND 

In 1885 Lester & Wasley established a London 
agency on Farrington St. for the introduction of 
their Leader machines to the English market. They 
had sent over a model machine and a dozen more 
had been made in London. They were guaranteed 
to run 4000 per hour and two were exhibited in a 
Fair at Kensington Garden. 

30 



Then one day Mr. Lester hunted me up and told 
me that they were having trouble in making the 
Leader machines run satisfactorily in London. He 
asked me if I didn't want to go over and fix them up. 
I told him I would like to and then laid his proposi- 
tion before Mr. Morgan, who said, "Go ahead. 
I'll meet you in London and take you over to Paris." 
I went ahead but Mr. Morgan was unable to meet me 
as he had planned. 

After a rough, eleven-day trip on the City of 
Chicago, I landed in Liverpool and faced the In- 
spectors of Customs. Besides my suitcase, I had 
a bag containing a kit of adjuster's tools, chisels, 
hack-saw, etc., and a new counting machine which 
I had just made. My suit-case was quickly passed 
but my bag was another matter. It was about the 
time of a threatened Fenian raid on Canada and the 
inspectors cast _ disapproving looks on the contents 
of my bag, particularly the counter, but they showed 
no disposition to examine it closely or even to take 
it into their hands. They didn't seem quite sure 
whether I was a Fenian with an infernal machine or 
an ordinary American burglar. They gave me the 
third degree — had to know who I was — where I 
was going — what I was going for, and why I 
didn't stay at home. 

I was held in a kind of honorable captivity for 
three or four hours and then set free, telegrams to 
London probably establishing the truth of my 
story. 

On arriving at London, I found Mr. Lawrence, 
Lester & Wasley's representative at the Farrington 
St. Agency and at his instance went at once to the 
Fair at Kensington Garden. I found the machine 
on exhibition running less that 8 M. per day. I gave 
my card to the man in charge, who expressed the 
opinion that the machine was no good and that 
no d — Yankee could make it go any better. I 
said if he would raise the log chain surrounding the 
exhibit I would like to see what I could do. Before 
touching it, I had a notion that I knew what the 
matter was and I found that, as I expected, the only 
trouble was that the picker did not come down on 
the flaps with force enough to make a good clean 
pickup. In less than five minutes the machine was 

31 



running smoothly at the rate of more than 4000 per 
hour. 

When I reappeared at the Agency office, Mr. 
Lawrence was surprised to see me so soon but de- 
lighted to learn that the adjustment had been so 
easy. He introduced me to another machine at his 
office — the one sent over from our side and that, 
too, required just the same adjustment. 

The next morning Mr. Law- 
rence gathered together Joseph 
Richmond, the builder of the 
British "Leader," Sir Henry 
Waterloo and two other enve- 
lope makers to whom the new 
machines had been sold. 

Richmond was a thick-set, 
ruddy, John Bull sort of a man 
with a close clipped gray 
moustache, wearing an ancient 
silk tile, at a rake of 45 degrees. 
Though he had never been at 
this side, he wanted to "be 
shown." 

"Run me just the one ladder 
full (i. e., chain) of good en- 
velopes and I'll break the best 
bottle of wine in London." 

I put on a cut of flats, started the machine and 
strolled over to the window. I kept my eye on 
things a little, though, and saw the machine run 
every blank down to the very last, without a slip. My 
popularity was instantaneous and hearty. Rich- 
mond demanded to know where I was stopping and 
took me at once to his own home. Sir Henry Water- 
loo, Mr. Pelton, and the other manufacturers in- 
vited me to visit their factories. 

A short time after I did go to Sir Henry Water- 
loo's and it happened thatl I there saw for the first 
time a Swift envelope machine. 

All the Leader machines were easily adjusted — - 1 
showed Richmond's foreman how I did it and, I 
believe, gave entire satisfaction. 

Yours truly, 

Wm. D. Slater. 




Wm. D. Slater, 1921 
82 years of age 



32 



In the preparation of the Lester & Wasley 
story the "G. M." is under great obligations 
to Mr. Percival W. Chapman, Secretary- 
Treasurer of the Lester & Wasley Co., who 
was born in Norwich, 
Conn., 1883, and after the 
death of Mr. Wasley in 
1910 he was put in charge 
of the affairs of Lester & 
Wasley and when the 
Lester & Wasley Co. was 
organized in 1911, he be- 
came Manager and Treas- 
urer of the corporation, a 
position he still holds. Mr. 
Chapman has been most 
helpful and unselfish in the 
amount of time given to 
help make the record as complete and authen- 
tic as possible. 




Percival W. Chapman 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager. 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

September, 1922 Number 20 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



UNINTELLIGENT COMPETITION 

A Word of Explanation 
How This Article Came To Be Published 
in the 

North American Review, May, 1901 



In January, 1901, I was asked to speak 
before the class in Economics at the Worcester 
Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachu- 
setts, on "Industrial Consolidations." The 
years from 1898 to 1903 represented the great 
era of consolidations in industry. 

A brief notice in the local paper mentioned 
the fact, which brought from several sources 
a request to read my manuscript. I then 
mailed the manuscript to a friend in New York 
who, when he returned it, said, "Friend Logan, 
you ought to publish that address; it has 
good meat in it and there is a lot of worse stuff 
than that printed." 

I then said to my wife, "I have a mind to 
rewrite my address as a magazine article and 
send it to the North American Review, which 
is, if not the highest, at least one of the 
highest grade magazines in the United States 
and I understand they only accept about one 
article in fifty that is submitted; and if they 
do not care to use it, well and good — it will 
clear some thoughts in my own mind to re- 
write it." 



So the article was rewritten and sent on 
its mission. 

One evening three of four days later I was 
called by long distance telephone from New 
York from the office of the North American 
Review and I was advised that in the next 
issue of the magazine there was to be a series 
of five articles by leading business men, as 
follows : 

Industrial and Railroad Consolidations 
by 

Russell Sage of New York; 

James J. Hill, President of the Great Northern 
Railway ; 

Charles M. Schwab, President United States 
Steel Corporation; 

Charles R. Flint, Treasurer United States 
Rubber Company ; 

F. B. Thurber, President United States Ex- 
port Association; 

and that my article was very opportune as it 
seemed to tie in as a fitting final article to the 
series. 

The article had been set up in type and a 
galley proof had been mailed me by special 
delivery that afternoon, and if it reached me 
in time, would I look it over, O.K., and return 
on the midnight mail, as the presses were 
being held until they received my O. K. This 
I did and in due course the article appeared. 

It seemed to have been appreciated, for I 
received hundreds of letters from all over the 
country, commending it. It was reprinted in 



this country in pamphlet form and I under- 
stand more than a half million copies were 
printed. It was also reprinted in Great 
Britain, and over a million copies were circu- 
lated there. Even now, after twenty-one 
years, I am continually being asked for copies, 
which I cannot furnish, it being out of print. 

Soon after its publication, by chance on the 
train I met one of the high officials of the 
United States Steel Corporation, and in 
discussing some of our common problems he 
said, "You seem to think -you had a lot of 
d — fool men in your line of business, but 
yours is not a circumstance to what we had 
in our organization." 

Some of the truths about unintelligent com- 
petition need to be restated today, and there 
are few things I would change in this article, 
so I reproduce it just as it was then written. 

James Hiooatt. 



Reprinted From The 

North American Review, May, 1901 

Unintelligent Competition a large Factor 

in Making Industrial Consolidation 

a Necessity. 

By James Logan 

General Manager 

United States Envelope Co., Worcester, Mass. 

The belief is quite general, in certain direc- 
tions, that all combinations and consolidations 
are organized to stamp out competition and 
advance prices unduly. Without doubt, 
many consolidations have been organized 
with that end in view, but there are many 
others which have been organized to correct 
abuses which, on account of ignorance and 
lack of intelligence, have become fastened 
upon many lines of industry and which threat- 
ened their destruction. The fact is not lost 
sight of that the promoter has been one of 
the largest influences in the work of consoli- 
dation, but ignorant, unequal, even dishonest 
competition in business has brought many 
industries to such a condition that manufac- 
turers were willing to listen to the plans of 
the promoter, or to any schemes which gave 
promise of even partial relief. 

Usually one of the first things done by a 
consolidation is to revise its price lists. Then 
there goes up a great hue and cry about trusts, 



monopolies, sqeezing the public, etc., by ad- 
vancing prices, as though it were a crime to 
be unwilling to sell goods at a loss or without 
a profit. After a consolidation has been 
brought about, manufacturers have the oppor- 
tunity to compare notes and see how buyers, 
through salesmen, have worked one manu- 
facturer against another, until certain classes 
of goods have been sold for much less than 
cost. These low prices have been largely made 
by ignorant manufacturers who did not know 
what they were doing; manufacturers who 
conducted their business by the rule of thumb ; 
men who had not the capacity even to appre- 
ciate system, to say nothing of originating it. 
When consolidations are effected that kind 
of ability usually goes to the rear and the more 
intelligent men take control, men who know 
more nearly what it costs to manufacture 
goods. And yet, the buyer and the public 
expect the manufacturer to continue in force 
the prices made by the ignoramus who has 
been superseded; and manufacturers are 
expected to sell at a loss, or without a profit, 
simply because ignorant, cutthroat competi- 
tion forced them to do so when they were 
powerless to prevent it. 

The consolidation of industrials has made it 
possible to ascertain how business has been 
conducted by competing firms, and the 
methods, or lack of methods, of some have 
been a revelation. 

It has been my pleasure to form the ac- 
quaintance of the managers of no less than six 
consolidations in different industries, and the 
experience of one is the experience of all. In 



some of the companies consolidated, they had 
never known the cost of manufacturing their 
goods; there had never been an intelligent 
attempt to learn the cost. The principle on 
which they appear to have acted was this : If 
one manufacturer quoted for an article a 
dollar, they knew they could make it for less, 
and so quoted ninety cents. There was an 
absolute lack of system in everything, save in 
one particular — their system of price cutting 
without regard to cost was perfect. 

Another fact has been discovered in every 
one of the six consolidations referred to, the 
firms or corporations consolidated were suc- 
cessful, prior to the consolidation, just in pro- 
portion as they adhered to a fixed standard 
for their goods, giving to their trade exactly 
what they agreed to give. In other words, the 
firms which made the best goods had the most 
satisfactory trade, paid their help the highest 
wages, and made the most money; and those 
who made the poorest goods, paid their help 
the lowest wages and made the least money. 

It may be asked, why do not firms which 
conduct their business on this basis fail, and 
the reply is, they do. This country is strewn 
with the wrecks of such firms, which fail 
time and again, compromise with their credi- 
tors and go on again, to continue their unequal 
and ignorant competition. 

One of the hardest problems honest business 
men have to face is to try to do business in 
competition with others who own their plant 
or goods through failure, and compromise 
at anywhere from ten to fifty cents on the 
dollar. The ruinous feature of this kind of 



competition is that other manufacturers and 
merchants who do know their costs are in 
a degree forced to travel at the same pace. 
A manufacturer cannot hope to sell for a 
dollar what a competitor will sell for ninety 
cents, not even though the article in question 
costs, under the most favorable conditions, a 
dollar and ten cents to produce it. 

The criticism is often made that in these 
consolidations the more successful companies 
are obliged to carry the weaker and poorer 
ones, and that is in a sense true, but it is not a 
new condition. The weaker companies have 
always been a drag on the successful ones. 
They have been the ones who largely deter- 
mined the scale in the matter of price and 
wages, the only difference now being that their 
power for doing harm for the time being has 
been somewhat abridged, and in time, with 
new men in the management of such firms, 
using new methods, they may be brought 
nearer to the standard of efficiency main- 
tained by the more successful firms. 

If consolidated management raises prices, 
it also results in raising, establishing and main- 
taining standards for weight, quality, etc., 
the standards adopted by the consolidations 
being a yard with thirty-six inches, a pound 
with sixteen ounces, and a quality which is 
recognized as the best in the market. As a 
rule the consolidation gives to the trade a 
better article than most of the same manu- 
facturers previously furnished. I firmly be- 
lieve that, as a general proposition, business 
under the consolidation is conducted more 
honestly, and that the buyer gets more nearly 



what he buys and pays for than he did when 
the firms which make up the consolidation 
were conducting their business as private 
organizations. The reason for this is not hard 
to find. The pecuniary benefits which for- 
merly accrued to the individual manufacturer, 
from giving short count, short weights and 
low grade goods, would not now accrue to the 
men in the active management. Their 
interests are relatively much smaller than 
formerly; and human nature is such that 
while a man may be tricky in his business 
when that will work to his personal advantage, 
he will not resort to the same methods if the 
benefit is to go to someone else. 

Competition is industrial war. Ignorant, 
unrestricted, competition, carried to its logical 
conclusion, means death to some of the com- 
batants and injury for all. Even the victor 
does not soon recover from the wounds 
received in the conflict. 

We have had in this country great natural 
resources to develop. We have been for 
years throwing away more than would today 
be looked upon in the older countries, and in 
some lines of business in our own country, as 
a handsome margin of profit. In manu- 
facturing industries, one invention has fol- 
lowed another, in rapid succession, and the 
margin of profit has been such that it has not 
been deemed necessary to know exactly what 
the costs of productions actually were. 

It has become a commonplace to say that 
"the wastes of one decade are the profits 
of the next." In many lines of industry 
that statement is well inside the truth, but 

10 



we are approaching a time, if it has not already 
been reached in some industries, where it 
would seem as though the cost of production 
could not be materially reduced by the saving 
of wastes, or by the invention of improved 
machinery — the cost of running the machine 
in some industries being such a small fraction 
of the total cost that, even though the 
machine were run for nothing the cost would 
not be greatly reduced. 

In the thought of the public these large 
aggregations of capital are monopolies, but 
this is an erroneous impression, for there is 
practically no such thing as monopoly in any 
of these industrial consolidations. Monopoly 
presupposes control of the market so that the 
price of a commodity may be arbitrarily fixed; 
but, as a matter of fact, that condition rarely 
exists. Competition may not be so sharp in 
some industries as in others, so that by com- 
parison it may seem not to exist; but it is 
almost never absent as a controlling factor. 

It does not follow that competition is keen- 
est where there are the largest number of 
competitors. In fact, the reverse is more 
often true than otherwise, for competition 
among a great many small firms means primi- 
tive ways of doing and the pace is ordinarily 
slow. But with large corporations, few in 
number, and with abundant means to avail 
themselves of every new invention, with 
modern, up-to-date methods of doing business, 
competition is being reduced to a science, and 
when it has worked itself out the consumer 
will get better goods for less money than under 
present ignorant competitive conditions. All 



the expense incurred in doing business by 
primitive methods, all the cost connected with 
doing business at a disadvantage by reason of 
not being so located or equipped as to be able 
to take advantage of every geographical and 
economic condition, all the failures which 
result from ignorance, dishonesty, incompe- 
tence are, in the last analysis, paid for by the 
people. 

A great many laws have been enacted to 
control, or at least to partially regulate, these 
large corporations. The large corporation 
is here to stay. The business of the world is 
to be conducted on a large scale and goods 
must be produced at low cost. Andrew 
Carnegie was right when he said: "It is not 
necessary to legislate against corporations. 
If they are organized on economic principles 
they do not need to be controlled by legisla- 
tion. If they are not so organized, the 
economic laws which govern trade and com- 
merce and which work as unerringly as the 
laws of gravitation will take care of them." 
Never was a larger economic truth more 
tersely put. 

There is only one way in which a consolida- 
tion can for any length of time be successful, 
and no new principle is being called into being 
to bring success. It is the same principle 
whether it be a consolidation of corporations, 
a single firm, a man or a boy. They must 
each render exceptional service, if they would 
succeed. The consolidation must share the 
profit with the consumer by lowering the price. 
If it does not, it will fail. 

The father and mother of the Trade family 
are Supply and Demand. Their first-born 
12 



is competition (and he is the legitimate off- 
spring of these parents). This child being 
more often than otherwise untrained and 
ignorant, frequently works untold hardship 
on the Trade family. Although great harm 
is done by this untrained and ignorant member 
of the family, it does not follow that the child 
should be strangled and put out of the way 
any more than an untrained and ignorant 
child in a human family should be so dealt 
with; but he should be restrained, educated, 
trained and directed, in order that he may be 
made competent to do his full share of work 
in the economic household. His is most im- 
portant work. The progress of the world 
in everything has been by keen competition, 
in schools as well as in industries. Men need 
the stimulus of competition to do their best. 
To it we owe our development. It is the fuel 
which feeds the fire of ambition, and up to a 
certain point it is a good thing (if the compe- 
tition is intelligent rather than ignorant) but 
like almost any other good thing, it can be 
abused. 

There must always be competition. To 
stamp it out, were such a thing possible, 
would mean stagnation and death. It would 
mean that there was to be no further progress, 
and it is no compliment to the intelligence 
of the business men who have done so much 
for the progress of the world to suggest even 
that they are so short sighted as to believe 
that that programme could be carried out. 

If there were no prizes to be obtained, men 
would cease to put forth the effort which 
makes for progress and growth. If there 

13 



were no larger prizes ahead of a young man 
than simply a day laborer's wages, the likli- 
hood is that a good many would not put 
forth the effort necessary to become anything 
more than a day laborer; but because there 
are prizes to be gained, by competition, men 
are willing to become practically slaves, to 
their business or profession and, in gaining 
those prizes for themselves, they make large 
contributions to the sum of human progress 
and happiness. We need competition if we 
would grow, but it ought to be honest and 
intelligent competition, and that is not what 
is being had under conditions which prevail 
in many lines of industry at the present time. 
Some months after the consolidation of 
one of the leading industries in this country, 
in conversation with a gentleman who was at 
the head of the Cost Department of one of 
the firms which had been consolidated (and 
it was the leader in that line of industry), I 
learned that an order had recently been sent 
for estimate to his old company, and that 
they had figures on the order and lost it, prior 
to the consolidation. They had known there 
would be close competition, and they had gone 
over their cost figures very carefully, putting 
the price on the lowest possible basis, but 
when the bids had been opened other bidders' 
prices were so far below theirs, that they were 
made to appear foolish. They had reviewed 
their figures, and could not understand how 
the party to whom the award had been made 
could sell the goods without loss at the price 
at which the contract had been awarded. 
When the companies were consolidated, the 
management had taken the order from the 



branch which had secured the contract, and 
had sent it for execution to this branch whose 
figures were so much higher, thereby acknowl- 
edging that their facilities for doing the work 
were better than those of the company which 
had been awarded the contract. A letter was 
written to the company which had secured 
the order asking that they furnish the data 
on which they had based their figures. To 
this letter they made an evasive reply. 
Another letter was written, and again came 
back a letter equally evasive. The matter 
was then taken up through the Manager's 
office, and this brought forth a letter which 
said they had no detail of the figures of their 
estimate to submit; they had done work 
something like this, and felt sure they could 
do this at the price they had submitted and 
that was all the information that could be 
obtained. The order was filled at a very 
considerable loss. 

Now for the application. The company 
to which the order was sent for execution 
had not failed to pay a dividend but once 
in over thirty years. The company which 
secured the contract at the low price had 
not paid a dividend for seven years, and, 
under existing conditions and management, 
was not likely to pay one for seven years more. 

A successful firm is not produced by chance, 
but by intelligence persistently applied; and 
this successful firm had made its dividends 
fully as much by orders which it had not 
accepted as by orders it had accepted. They 
knew where profit ended and where loss began ; 
and when it became a question of paying a 

15 



customer to do his business, they had let the 
other manufacturer have that privilege. 

The competition hardest to meet is not 
usually that of successful firms, who know 
what they are doing, but of firms whose busi- 
ness creed appears to be summed up in the 
lines of an old hymn: 

"So on I go not knowing, 
'Tis blessed not to know." 

These are the firms which fail, and whose 
competition often causes others to fail, and 
the cause of their failure is largely the result 
of ignorance of the cost of production to the 
manufacturer or the cost of doing business 
to the merchant. For such ignorance, indeed 
they are, in many cases, not entirely to blame. 

Men rarely go into business directly from 
the ranks of industry. The offshoots from the 
established houses are usually heads of 
departments, office men, superintendents and 
foremen, and I suppose it is well inside the 
truth to say that nine out of every ten such 
employees, kept in ignorance of the true con- 
dition of business, believe their employers to 
be making profits very greatly in excess of the 
amounts actually made. 

The great majority of business men en- 
deavor to keep the details of their business to 
themselves. They want to have as few as 
possible of the men connected with their 
business know the cost of their goods and what 
profits they are making. The result is that 
many of these men have no knowledge of the 
costs of production to a manufacturer, and 
are wholly lacking in a knowledge of what it 
costs to do business as a merchant. 

16 



The point I would make is this: Is it wise 
to let such men think that the costs of doing 
business as a merchant are simply store rent 
and clerk hire, and the costs of manufacturing 
are simply those larger items, like labor, rent, 
heat, power, etc., which stand out promi- 
nently, leaving out of their thought the ser- 
vices of the proprietor, and that multitude of 
other costs, many of the items small in them- 
selves, but in the aggregate the mighty factor 
which we call "overhead" or "burden" which 
decides whether the balance is to be on the 
right or the wrong side of the profit and loss 
account; to let them go on guessing that 
the profits of the business are two or three 
times what they actually are; to keep them 
in ignorance of the true condition of the busi- 
ness, which, if known to them, would in 
thousands of cases remove from them the 
temptation to start in business for themselves, 
and thus prevent a large part of the com- 
petition that kills? Such men are not entirely 
to blame that they have not the capacity to 
carry a "Message to Garcia." They have 
never had an opportunity to do work that 
would fit them for such service, and their 
employer often could not carry a "Message 
to Garcia" either. Would it not be wiser to 
adopt the other course, to train and educate 
a man so that he may become more valuable 
to the firm? A man cannot grow and use good 
judgment in business matters, if a knowledge 
of the facts, which is the basis for judgment, 
is withheld. Men do not expect growth in any- 
thing else where the means of growth are cut 
off. Why should they in business? Then, if 
the man grows, pay him for this increased 

17 



efficiency, of which the firm gets the benefit; 
and when that is done, if such a man does go 
into business on his own account, he will be 
an intelligent, rather than an ignorant, com- 
petitor. 

Statistics are often quoted which show 
that only a A^ery small percentage of the men 
who embark in business on their own account 
succeed — those who have given the matter 
careful thought say from three per cent, to 
five per cent. Whether that be correct or not 
I do not pretend to say ; but this we do know, 
a large percentage do not succeed. 

There is a reason for this enormous commer- 
cial death rate; and in my opinion, one of the 
chief causes is bad accounting; and, as a 
consequence, ignorance of cost of production, 
as a manufacturer, and of doing business, 
as a merchant. 

Many men accounted shrewd, having no 
knowledge of accounts themselves, utterly 
fail to appreciate the real purpose of book- 
keeping and accounting, and act on the 
assumption that any boy or girl just out of 
school, who can be hired at the smallest salary, 
and who is wholly lacking in business training, 
is competent to do their bookkeeping. That 
might be true if the only function of the book- 
keeper were to see that sales were properly 
charged and accounts collected when due. 
That work is essential and must be done cor- 
rectly, if one would remain solvent ; but there 
is another function which is equally im- 
portant and which is too often neglected. 
Books of account should be so kept that, at 

18 



the end of each period, there could be made 
up a statement of the business in each depart- 
ment in all its detail, giving the detailed costs 
connected with the business. It is not enough 
that these costs should go into a few general 
accounts. They must be subdivided so that 
a comparison can be made from year to year. 
If costs are increasing, the comparisons will 
reveal the fact; if there are leaks, they will 
be detected and stopped; but that work 
requires brains and business training and the 
salary investment made in employing a com- 
petent accountant will yield large returns, 
giving to the management facts, not guesses, 
in the matter of cost of production. 

The demands of the new century will not 
admit of guesswork. The management of 
the future must have a definite knowledge of 
the cost of production — not in a vague and 
general way, but in a concrete and specific 
way. Success by the rule of thumb has gone 
forever and in the years to come success will 
be won only through exact and definite knowl- 
edge. 

The manufacturer's endeavor is to reduce 
the cost of production, but there are two 
mighty forces at work all the time to reduce 
the price just a little faster than the manu- 
facturer can reduce the cost. These are the 
buyer and the traveling salesman, and they 
have helped to make consolidations a neces- 
sity. 

The manufacturer who is ignorant of cost 
will usually be ignorant of other conditions 
connected with his business, and both he and 
his salesman will be at the mercy of the un- 



scrupulous buyer. All buyers are not un- 
scrupulous, and there is something to be said 
in behalf of the salesman. The writer has 
been a salesman for over five and twenty 
years. He has been in the employ of others, 
and he has for years sold his own goods, so 
that he is not giving hearsay evidence of 
conditions. 

The traveling salesman's burden is not an 
easy one to bear. From Monday morning 
till Saturday night he hears one story from the 
buyer: "He is not in it, not even a little bit," 
"his prices are not right;" "we have quota- 
tions much more favorable," "so-and-so has 
agreed to deliver," "another one will give 
three months' dating," "at even prices they 
prefer to give him an order," and so on. Such 
statements may be true, and they may not. 

After the consolidation of the company of 
which I have an intimate knowledge, the corre- 
spondence which had passed between the 
several companies and buyers from all over 
the country was open for inspection; so also 
was the correspondence sent in prior to the 
consolidation by traveling men, as to what 
the other manufacturers were reported to be 
quoting, and it was a most instructive exhibit. 
Prices which had never been quoted, and 
special terms which existed only in the fertile 
brain of the buyer, had been met by competing 
manufacturers. Statements were made by 
buyers as to the volume of their business 
which were wilder than political estimates 
made on the stump, and which had been used 
as a lever to get quotations and terms to which 
the party making them was not entitled. 

20 



The salesman's position is dependent upon 
the business which he obtains. His orders 
must be obtained from the buyer, with whom 
he must keep on good terms to obtain orders. 
In time, he often becomes better acquainted, 
and on terms of even greater intimacy, with 
the buyer than with the house which he repre- 
sents. The result is that pretty much any- 
thing the buyer asks for he can have. The 
traveling man will say to his house that he 
cannot retain the trade unless the concessions 
asked are granted; and, as often happens, 
the manufacturer, being known to the buyer 
only through the salesman, is completely 
at their mercy, and accepts the conditions 
laid down. 

Add to this the fact that the manufacturer 
himself does not know the cost of his goods; 
does not know where profit ends and where 
loss begins, and, of course, the traveling 
salesman cannot know under those conditions. 
He more often than otherwise only knows the 
selling price which has been given him, and, 
no matter what that price may be, his assump- 
tion is that it involves a large profit. And 
when a salesman goes out on the road, even 
with a schedule of the lowest prices, usually 
his final instructions from a man who does not 
know his cost is to "get the orders, and, if it 
is necessary to cut those prices, to cut them," 
and with such instructions the prices are cut. 

There are many large firms and corpora- 
tions today conducting their business by the 
old rule of thumb, and that will one day 
produce their downfall. Not having wrought 
an intelligent system of accounting while the 

21 



business was being developed, they now find 
themselves handicapped by a lack of system 
and a lack of knowledge of cost, which, with 
the small margin of profits which must rule 
for the future, is so essential if a manufacturer 
would succeed. Worse still, they are handi- 
capped by a force of men in their several 
departments who, never having given much 
thought to such detail, utterly fail to appre- 
ciate its importance, many of them being now 
past the time of life when they are willing to 
learn new ways. 

Almost every corporation, firm and educa- 
tional institution, has connected with it a 
certain proportion of men who act as brakes 
on the wheels of progress. Being too old to 
take up new methods, they set themselves 
squarely across the path of progress, and not 
only refuse to advance themselves, but make 
it next to impossible for others to make 
headway — their argument being that this 
is the way in which work has been done; 
these are the methods we have followed for 
years; they have been good enough in the 
past, they ought to be good enough now. 

Many of these men have been connected 
with the business for a lifetime; and, in their 
thought, years of inefficient service ought to 
count as equivalent for efficiency. They have 
been engaged in the industry so long that 
they labor under the impression that they 
know all that there is to be known ; and their 
very conceit closes up the avenue through 
which light could and would come to make 
them more efficient, if they would but let it. 

Again, there is another class of men who are 
and have been for years agents, superinten- 

22 



dents and foremen, who were never fitted, 
either by natural endowment or acquired 
ability, to fill such positions. They would 
never have been selected for their present 
posts, but in the early days of the business 
they drifted into their places, and they have 
drifted ever since. 

Consolidations are, for the most part, made 
up of firms which have grown up from very 
small beginnings. Twenty-five years ago it 
was exceptional for factories to begin with 
any considerable working force. They usually 
started small, and, from time to time, as the 
business increased, added to their plant. Now 
that has been all changed, and a plant is 
created in three or six months which starts 
fully equipped and capable of turning out a 
product as large as that of firms that have 
been working to build up a trade for a score 
of years. 

The agents, superintendents, foremen for 
such new plants, usually being drawn from 
other going concerns, are selected because of 
their fitness. 

The old method was very different. For 
example : In an office a young man was hired 
as bookkeeper, and he did pretty much all the 
office work that was not done by the pro- 
prietor. In time, as business grew, another 
clerk was hired. In the course of years the 
office staff had grown till there were a dozen 
clerks, and the man who chanced to be the 
first has been promoted at different times 
until he came to be the agent or superintend- 
ent. But he had stopped growing long ago, 
and simply held a position which he never 

23 



filled. His being there, however, had pre- 
vented someone else from filling it who could 
and who, had he been given the opportunity, 
would have rendered a larger service. Had 
the inefficient man been set aside and the 
progressive, efficient man put in his place, 
the business would, perhaps, have been saved 
from bankruptcy, and instead of the com- 
pany dying of dry rot, it might be giving 
employment to hundreds of other employees. 
This illustration applies with equal force to 
many of the departments connected with 
almost every manufacturing establishment. 

The management of the consolidation is 
severely criticized because it refuses to be 
handicapped by such men, and in making 
changes it often works hardship to the individ- 
ual, but continuing an inefficient man in a 
position which he did not fill wrought hard- 
ship to the efficient man who was kept out of 
it, and also to hundreds of employees who 
have been deprived of work which the other 
man's ability would have provided. So that 
the hardship is not all on one side. 

Consolidations have closed factories and 
have thrown many faithful and efficient 
employees out of work. But every failure 
through such inefficiency as has been described 
has done the same thing; and, in many 
cases, had the consolidation not been brought 
about, failure would have been the next step. 

Then again, owing to antiquated equip- 
ment, poor management or economic condi- 
tions, it is simply impossible to operate some 
factories except at a loss; and even though 
the consolidation had not been consummated 

24 



many factories which have been closed by the 
consolidation would have been closed by the 
operation of economic law. The final result 
has simply been anticipated a little, and not 
a great while either. 

A gentleman who was connected with a line 
of industry which had recently been brought 
under consolidation said to me that the con- 
solidation had discharged three men, and 
that he was now working four times as hard 
as he did formerly. I suggested that a man 
was somewhat better than a machine and more 
was expected of him; but that, if he had in 
his factory a machine from which he could 
get only twenty-five per cent, of efficiency he 
would throw it into the junk heap, and if he, 
as a man, drawing a good salary, had been 
only rendering twenty-five per cent, of his 
efficiency, he, too, was entitled to a place 
in the scrap heap. In this day and genera- 
tion, twenty-five per cent, of efficiency means 
to step out and give someone else a chance, 
who can and will work at higher pressure and 
render larger service. 

The question is often asked, "What effect 
will these consolidations have on the wages 
of the workman?" Many express fears that 
they will operate to his disadvantage. I do 
not share that feeling. I believe they will 
eventually work to his benefit. The fact is 
abundantly proved that firms managed with- 
out system or intelligence usually pay the 
lowest wages. There is a reason for this, which 
is not hard to explain. They pay their work- 
men the lowest wages and produce inferior 
goods, sell their goods at cut prices, without 

25 



regard to cost, and in a large degree establish 
the price at which other manufacturers, who 
pay better wages and who make better goods 
are forced to sell theirs. Their business, hav- 
ing been conducted without system, at the 
close of the year may have shown a loss or, 
at least, did not show such a margin of profit 
as they expected ; and they could not see their 
way clear to raise the price. That is one of 
the last things a company conducted on the 
basis suggested considers; for here comes 
in the salesman, who says, "If you do that I 
cannot hold my trade." The cost must be 
reduced; but how? Then begins a series of 
haphazard figuring on very imperfect and 
incomplete data. Where can saving be 
effected? Some costs are definitely fixed. 
Those cannot be changed. Interest, in- 
surance, rent, power, heat, light, taxes, etc., 
must be paid, and at the fixed rate. Towering 
high above all these items of costs stands the 
pay roll. That must be cut down. The cut 
is made and they start out once more to 
carry on for another season the same abomin- 
able business methods, and force other manu- 
facturers, who want to pay good wages, to 
cut down the pay of their operatives in order 
to compete with them. This ignorance in 
the management reacts with mighty force on 
the working men and women in the factory 
under present conditions. 

Recently a gentleman, when asked if he 
were going to send his boy to college, said 
that he did not intend to, that his son was 
going into business and did not need it. There 
was but one inference to be drawn from this 
man's remark, and that was that a business 

26 



man today could get along with less brains 
and a poorer equipment than is necessary for 
a lawyer, doctor, professor or minister of the 
gospel. No thinking man would agree with 
that proposition. A man, to succeed in busi- 
ness in the new century, must have the best 
equipment that a broad and liberal education 
can give him, for the great conflict to be 
fought in the opening years of the new 
century is an industrial one. 

Some men sneer at commercial education. 
The suggestion that business can be taught in 
a school seems to them foolishness, their 
claim being that there is but one school in 
which business can be taught — the School 
of Experience in the great University of the 
World, where men are brought into contact 
with actual business conditions. That line 
of reasoning is not logical when applied to 
other professions. As well say that the 
teacher, minister, physician, lawyer, soldier, 
must be taught in the School of Experience. 
Formerly, the divinity student studied with 
a minister, the medical student with a prac- 
tising physician, the law student read law in 
the office of some eminent lawyer, the engineer 
and mechanic were taught in the shop. While 
fully appreciating that kind of practical and 
personal instruction, men recognized its limi- 
tations. In each of these professions they felt 
the great lack of scientific training, and out 
of the consciousness of that need there has 
been evolved "a more excellent way" and the 
Divinity School, Medical School, Law School, 
Technical School, West Point and Annapolis 
have come into existence. 



27 



In a large sense it is true that nothing can 
ever take the place of contact with conditions 
as they actually exist in the world's school of 
Experience; but if the training of the pro- 
fessional schools fits a person to do his work 
more intelligently in the professions referred 
tc, is it not a logical conclusion that, in the 
field of business, men can be trained in the 
fundamental principles which will enable 
them more intelligently to wrestle with the 
mighty problems which confront the captains 
of industry at the opening of the twentieth 
century? Institutions of learning will in the 
years to come, through such departments as 
the Tuck School of Commerce at Dartmouth 
College train men in the principles of business. 
But the instruction will not be all given by 
professors whose knowledge of business and 
of business conditions is gathered from books. 
There will be brought into this work, I believe, 
men who will contribute of their knowledge 
gained in contact with the world of business, 
and who will give that service as other men 
give money. 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General Makaber, 



28 





H 




^ggg^ 




The Hall-mark of Quality 


Sljr fob lEnfotope 


June, 


1923 Number 21 




PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In New York City 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company, 

Worcester, Mass. 

CHAPTER XV. 

(Continued from No. 18) 



'THE HOUSE OF RAYNOR" 
1818—1923. 
R. Bartlett 1818 

R. Bartlett & S. Raynor 1835 
H. & S. Raynor 1837 

S. Raynor 1847 

Lyon & Raynor 1856 

Samuel Raynor 1858 

Samuel Raynor & Co. 1862 

Raynor & Martin 1888 

Raynor Envelope Co. 1892 

Raynor & Perkins Env. Co. 1896 

Much of the detail connected with the 
beginning and growth of the Raynor envelope 
business was given the "G. M." in 1903 by 
Wm. P. Raynor, son of Samuel Raynor, who 
in 1897 prepared a brief historical sketch of 



the life of their firm on which he drew for his 
facts while giving the "G. M." the details of 
this sketch. 

In the year 1818, a small stationery 
store was established at 76 Bowery, New 
York, by Richard Bartlett, from which 
small beginning, through the changes of the 
years, has grown the present business of the 
Raynor & Perkins Envelope Company, now 
located at 220-224 William St. In these early 
days it was the custom for merchants to use 
only their initials in doing business, instead 
of the full name, as at present; and this 
custom prevailed until late in the fifties. 

The business was a small one, in the 
beginning, and consisted mainly in the 
manufacture of blank books, playing cards 
and legal blanks. Small though it was, it 
grew to be well known throughout the city 
and state, where many of the large mercantile 
houses depended upon it for their stationery 
supplies. 

Samual Raynor was born in the year 1810, 
in the town of Hempstead, Long Island, and 
came to New York in the year 1822 to make 
his way in life, at the early age of twelve, a 
poor boy, the youngest son of a small farmer, 
two older brothers had already preceded 
him. He early acquired a name for industry 
and integrity, and at the age of twenty-five, 
he associated himself as partner with Mr. 
Bartlett, under the firm name of R. Bartlett 
& S. Raynor. 

The concern continued to prosper and 
largely increased their trade, adding to their 



business by the sale of school books, supplying 
all the most important schools in New York 
and the neighboring States of Connecticut 
and New Jersey. At the death of Mr. 
Bartlett in 1837, Mr. Raynor associated with 
himself his older brother, Hiram, under the 
name of H. & S. Raynor; he continued at 
this same stand until 1847, when Mr. Hiram 
Raynor, contented with a moderate compe- 
tence, retired from business at the age of 
forty-five. 

The establishment was continued thereafter 
by Mr. Samuel Raynor alone, and in Feb., 
1858, Mr. Raynor moved to 118 William St. 
Until the year 1856, they did not manufacture 
envelopes but sold envelopes made by Mc- 
Spedon & Baker (See Red Envelope No. 15, 
Chapter IX). . 

With a desire to still further enlarge his 
business, Mr. Raynor bought an interest in 
the envelope firm of Chas. H. Lyon & Brother, 
which firm was established in 1853. The firm 
now became known as Lyon & Raynor, 
and was located at 27 Beekman Street. In 
the fall of 1857 or 1858 the firm was dissolved 
by mutual consent, Mr. Raynor continuing 
alone. 

It would seem from the meagre records 
that the partners simply separated and after 
the separation each operated his own plant. 

The envelope business was still in its 
infancy — the folding was done almost entirely 
by hand. Their first machines were invented 
by W. W. Cotton, who was a foreman in 
their factory, the fifth patent granted on 



envelope machinery in the United States 
having been issued to him, and all we have to 
show us what the Cotton machine was like 
is a photograph of the Patent Office model. 




Photograph of Patent Office Model of 
W. W. Cotton Envelope Folding Machine 14,625. April 8, 1856 

The cutting presses were mounted on 
wooden frames and were very crude affairs. 
Envelopes being made by hand, a large part 
of the cost of an envelope was for manual 
labor. In the summer of 1858, the White & 
Corbin machines, invented by Milton G. 
Puffer, were first placed upon the market and 
Mr. Raynor gave an order for twelve machines 
at $500.00 each, of what were then called 
fast running machines, making about 1,300 
per hour, one operator sealing the flaps for 
two machines, thus making the average 



completed product about 900 envelopes per 
hour per employee. These machines were 
built at Pawtucket, R. I., but were never 
wholly satisfactory. 

A loft at 75 John St. was hired, from 
which an opening was made through the wall 
into the William Street store which enabled 
them to have communication with the 
factory. An Ericsson motor, invented by the 
man who designed and built the Monitor 
which fought the Merrimac in 1862, was put 
in, and with this equipment, what was then 
thought to be an establishment of the highest 
grade, was soon in successful operation. 

With the outbreak of the war in 1861, the 
demand for goods of all classes had been very 
largely increased and it was necessary to add 
more folding machinery. Improved cutting 
presses were also purchased and a larger 
force was employed to meet the largely in- 
creasing demand. 

About 1856 there came into the employ of 
Lyon & Raynor a young man by the name of 




Raynor 
Life 




Willi 



Irwin Martin 



William Irwin Martin, who was born in New 
York City, Dec. 16, 1836, whose early school- 
ing was received in the schools of Rahway, 
N. J. He continued with Samuel Raynor 
when Lyon & Raynor dissolved partnership, 
and in 1862, with Mr. Raynor's son, Wm. P. 
Raynor, was admitted to junior partnership 
in the business. 




William P. Raynor 



The business soon outgrew the contracted 
limits of the John and William Streets 
establishment, at which time Mr. Raynor 
bought the four-story building, 115 William 



St., adding a story to make it more fully meet 
the demands for space. The business was 
removed to the new location in the spring of 
1865. 

In March, 1888, Mr. Samuel Raynor died, 
the result of exposure contracted in the great 
blizzard of March 12th. 

The business having been dissolved by the 
death of Mr. Samuel Raynor, the firm of 
Raynor & Martin was formed by the surviving 
partners in April following, who continue 
until Jan. 1, 1892, when the Raynor Envelope 
Co. was incorporated under the laws of the 
State of New York, at which time Mr. Martin 
retired from the business. 

Mr. Martin was in the army a short period 
during the Civil War. He also served in 
the New York National Guard for about ten 
years and later was Colonel of the Veteran 
Association of the 23rd Regiment, National 
Guard of the State of New York. 

He served as President of the Stationer's 
Board of Trade and was a member of the 
New York Chamber of Commerce. 

Mr. Martin died at Cranford, N. J., April 6, 
1901, aged 64 years. 

Mr. Samuel Raynor went to his grave 
honored by all who knew him. He was the 
type of a man whose character could secure a 
million of J. Pierpont Morgan's money if 
he had not a dollar of his own. 

Wm. M. Perkins was born in New York 
City, Dec. 18, 1858, coming from good New 
England stock, his ancestors being among 
the founders of New London, Conn., 1636. 



He entered the employ of J. Q. Preble & Co., 
Feb. 2, 1874, having just graduated from 
the Yonkers, New York, High School. He 
remained with the Preble Co., until their 
failure in December, 1889, and on May 1, 
1890, he organized the Perkins Envelope 
Company. 

On Jan. 1, 1896, the Raynor Envelope 
Co., and the Perkins Envelope Co., were 
merged under the corporate name of Raynor 
& Perkins Envelope Co., with the Perkins 
interest in control. 

In 1900, Mr. Perkins bought the Raynor 
interests. 

Mr. Wm. P. Raynor died, April 17, 1911, 
73 years of age. 





William M. Perkins William M. Perkins 

1876 — 18 years of age Later in life 

We now turn to the manufacturing side 
of the Samuel Raynor Co. development. 

In those early years they were fortunate 
in having in their employ an ingenious 
Englishman, Mr. James Ball, who was born 
in Lancaster, Lancaster County, England, 



Sept. 9, 1838. He was the son of a cotton 
dresser and was in early life apprenticed to 
the machinist's trade in a cotton mill in 
Manchester, England. He came to America, 
the land of promise and opportunity, in 1858. 




Photograph of Patent Office Model of 
James Ball Envelope Folding Machine, No. 78,353, May 26, 1868 

On the first day of his arrival at Castle 
Garden, New York, he obtained work in a 
machine shop where they made and repaired 
a very crude machine for making envelopes. 
He was there but a short time when his 
ability was recognized by Wm. P. Lyon & 
Bro., New York, manufacturers of envelopes, 
whose machines he had been repairing, and 
he was by them soon hired as superintendent 
of their shop. 

The machines on which he worked are 



supposed to have been the Puffer envelope 
machines to which reference was made on 
page 15, Red Envelope, No. 12. We have 
the record that Mr. Raynor had bought a 
battery of twelve machines in 1858 from 
White & Corbin, of Rockville, Conn. 

Mr. Ball became superintendent for Samuel 
Raynor Co. in 1865, and at once began to 
make improvements on the machines he was 
operating, at the same time dreaming of a 
future Ball machine. 

We find the first patent issued to James 
Ball to be No. 78,353, May 26, 1868, and we 
are able to show a cut from a photograph of 
the Patent Office model. 




Patent Office Drawing 
James Ball Envelope Folding Machine, No. 78,353, May 26, 1868 



Description of the James Ball 

Envelope Machine 

The Ball envelope machine, shown in 
Patent No. 78,353, May 26, 1868, is interest- 
ing because it is probably the first attempt to 
develop the screw dryer. The envelopes 
were discharged from the folding box as a 
result of the dropping of the box, in the way 
that is being followed even now, but instead 
of dropping into a chain dryer the envelopes 
were projected between the blades of two 
endless screws. Ball could not use the drying 
chain with fingers such as is now in use 
without infringing the Waymouth patents 
controlled by Berlin & Jones, so he had to 
find something else. 

These screws, by means of their slow 
revolution, gradually carried the envelopes 
downward to within a few inches of the floor 
where they were removed from this set of 
screws and pushed by means of a conveyor 
into another set of screws in front of the first 
set and nearer to the operator. This pair of 
screws revolved in the opposite direction to 
the first mentioned pair. Therefore, the 
envelopes were gradually raised. When they 
arrived at the top they were projected out 
onto a table to be collected by the operator. 

In reading over the claims of this patent 
it seems strange that Ball did not get broader 
protection; in other words, that he did not 
combine the features of, we will say, gumming 
the envelopes, folding and drying them in 
the same machine. 

However, the Waymouth patents which 



were issued several years earlier probably 
precluded this, and therefore Ball was 
limited in dryer claims, as shown, for instance, 
in claim 9 : 

"The spiral carriers, 0, to carry the enve- 
lopes along and retain them free from pressure 
until the gum has dried, when arranged 
substantially as described." 

This would seem to cover the spiral carriers 
pretty broadly. 

We think, however, this patent was of 
little importance, for spiral carriers have never 
proved practical. The spiral carrier has no 
method of retaining any pressure on the 
envelopes to hold the flaps together while 
the gum dries. For this reason the chain 
dryer was much better. 

When Ball invented the first machine with 
the spiral carriers he could not get within the 
limits of space between the folding box and 
the floor sufficient time in which to allow the 
gum on the sealing flaps to dry, so a hole was 
cut in the floor and the spiral screws carried 
the envelopes down to the floor below, one 
operator feeding the machine on one floor 
and another operator taking the folded 
envelopes from the screws on the floor below. 

Later he improved his machine by the 
addition of another set of spiral screws turn- 
ing in the opposite direction, thus bringing 
the envelope back to a position in front of the 
operator. It is this improved machine which 
is shown in the patent office drawing. 

At the Centennial Exposition at Philadel- 
phia in 1876, the Samuel Raynor Co. placed 



on exhibition the Ball Envelope folding 
machine, built by Martin Rau of New York, 
and this machine was awarded the gold medal 
for "quality and regularity of output." 




James Ball Centennial Machine exhibited by Samuel Raynor & Co., 
Philadelphia, Pa.— 1876. Patent 78,353, May 26, 1868 



Mr. Ball remained with Samuel Raynor 
Co. till 1882, when he became superintendent 
of the Holyoke Envelope Co. of Holyoke, 
Mass. This company was organized by 
Geo. N. Tyner, and James T. Abbe, in 1881, 
their first superintendent being Mr. Wm. D. 
Slater, who, after a year with the new com- 
pany, returned to his first love, the Morgan 
Envelope Co. of Springfield, Mass., where 
he has ever since remained. 

Mr. Ball remained with the Holyoke Enve- 
lope Co. until 1893, when, being in poor 



health, he resigned his position and returned 
to England, where he died on Aug. 20, 1900, 
aged 62 years. 





James Ball, 1863 
2 5 years of age 



James Ball, 1893 
5 5 years of age 



From 1868 to 1893 there was granted to 
Mr. Ball fourteen patents for improvements 
in envelope folding machines, all but two of 
which were issued after he made his connec- 
tion with the Holyoke Company. 

While with the Holyoke Envelope Co., 
Mr. Ball built several machines and pretty 
much all the machinery at the plant was 
built under his general direction. Among 
the machines built was a self-gumming-folding 
and printing machine, all being done at one 
operation. 

During all the years he was associated with 
the Holyoke Envelope Co. he had an able 
and competent assistant in Mr. John Vines, 
who is still in the employ of the United 
States Envelope Co. 

Mr. Vines was born in Clettham, near 
Gloucestershire, England, July 20, 1854, 
and came to the United States in 1878. 



16 





John Vines 
21 years of age 



John Vines 
68 years of age 



Mr. Ball left two sons, both of whom were 
connected with the envelope business, the 
late James E. Ball and George Ball, who has 
been connected with several Philadelphia 
envelope plants. 



17 



The Beginnings of 

J. Q. Preble & Company 

Envelope Manufacturers 

New York City 

CHAPTER XVI. 

J. Q. Preble was born in Bowdingham, 
Maine, Feb. 12, 1826. His parents moved to 
Millville, Mass., where his early years were 
spent. In 1844, when he was eighteen years 
of age, the family moved to Worcester, Mass. 
He worked for about a year in the book 
bindery of Jonathan Grout on Main St. 
He then worked for A. C. Beaman on Main 
St., making perforated cardboard, which was 
used for making mottoes worked in with 
colored yarns, the old "God Bless Our Home" 
being one of the standards. 

Mr. Beaman sold his business to Towne & 
Dodd, young Preble going with the business 
and remaining with them about a year. 

Mr. Beaman had a brother who was in the 
fancy goods business in Oconomewoc, Wis., 
and recognizing the push and energy of young 
Preble, who was in delicate health at that 
time, and believing that the change would be 
beneficial, he secured for him a position with 
his brother in the west as manager of his 
store. At this time he was between 22 and 23 
years of age. 

The small western town did not appeal to 

18 



him as a permanent home and he soon 
returned to Worcester and entered into an 
arrangement with Mr. Beaman to control 
the sale of his entire product, thus becoming a 
traveling salesman on his own account. 

Soon after this he began the manufacture of 
fancy specialties of one kind and another, one 
of his specialties being school Reward of 
Merit cards which many of the older people 
will remember. He also included perforated 
cardboard for mottoes such as he had been 
selling for Mr. Beaman and Towne & Dodd. 
Sometime between the years 1849 and 1851, 
he moved his small manufacturing plant from 
Worcester, Mass., to New York City, con- 
tinuing to manufacture his regular lines. He 
soon added the manufacture of blank books, 
acquiring the blank book business of L. & E. 
Edwards, of Norwich, Conn. The manager, 
Mr. Jarvis M. Fairchild, went with the 
business when it was transferred to New 
York and continued as a junior partner and 
manager of the department for many years. 

A little later the manufacture of embossed 
envelopes was added. Mr. Chas. H. Lamport, 
who was born in Warsaw, Yates County, 
New York, in 1832, being the manager of 
the envelope department, and with David W. 
Robinson were junior partners in the firm. 
Mr. Lamport continued in the company till 
1877, leaving the Preble Co. to take the 
management of the J. G. Shaw Co., Blank 
Book manufacturers. Later the name was 
changed to the National Blank Book Co., 
which was later moved to Holyoke, Mass., 
and has had a most successful history. Mr. 

19 



Lamport died in New York City in 1898, 
aged 66 years. In those early days these 
embossed envelopes were cut with a die as 





Chas. H. Lamport 
When a young man. 



Chas. H. Lamport 
Later in Life 



they now are, then they were fed through a 
printing press to receive the embossing 
design (usually a spray of flowers) in the 
upper left corner. These envelopes were 
considered simply as a novelty, being largely 
for ladies' use and relatively the demand 
was limited. The day for commercial enve- 
lopes was just beginning to dawn. 

This was before the day of power envelope 
machines, even the first crude power envelope 
machine had not yet been invented. The 
work was largely done by hand though there 
were in operation some small footpower 
envelope machines. The blank being placed 
on the folding block and then the folding 
flaps were operated by foot power, the folded 
envelopes being removed from the folding 
block by hand. The flaps of these envelopes 
were not gummed, the wafer still being used 
to seal the envelopes. 

20 



It was from this idea of the embossed 
envelope that a few years later there was 
developed the embossed initial stationery 
which was so common in the early days of 
the business. 

The business continued to grow and in 1903 
Mr. Preble told the writer that as far back 
as 1853 his company, then the largest envelope 
manufacturers in New York City, were 
making by hand 175 M. envelopes per day, 
operating three small factories in different 
parts of the city. 

The firm of Bell & Gould were at this 
date also makers of envelopes by hand in a 
building on Beekman St., on the present site 
of the New York Tribune Building, the 
Preble Co. being one of their largest customers. 

Alexander Stephen Gould was born in 
New York City, corner Wall & Broad Streets, 
Dec. 1, 1808, and died in New York City, 
May 15, 1877, aged 69 years. For a time he 
edited the Paterson Courier in Paterson, 





Alexander Stephen Gould 
In Middle Life 



Alexander Stephen Gould 
Late in Life 



2 J 



N. J., and after his marriage to Mary Reid 
he returned to New York City and from 
about 1851 , for a number of years, was engaged 
in the envelope business in that city. 

Bell & Gould were operating some very 
crude envelope machines which did part of 
the work but Mr. Preble could remember 
nothing in regard to these machines except 
that they did fold envelopes in a very crude 
way and his recollection was that the machines 
were fed by placing the blank on the envelope 
form by hand, the same as a job printing 
press was fed, and then working the folding 
flap wings by foot power. In correspondence 
with Miss Irene Gould, of Redbank, N. J., 
daughter of Mr. Alexander Stephen Gould, 
she developed through a distant relative this 
fact about the machines operated by her 
father, that they were small portable machines 
and stood on the top of the table or work 
bench. 

Bell & Gould had been doing for the time a 
very prosperous envelope business, but Mr. 
George H. Bell, feeling that he had acquired a 
competence (modest man), sold his interest 
to Mr. Gould for $10,000.00, and leaving 
active business he retired to his farm in New 
Jersey. Mr. Gould continued the business 
under the management of his son, W. Reid 
Gould, law blank manufacturers for many 
years, as a stationer, corner Beekman & 
Nassau Streets. Eventually the business 
was acquired by Mr. Preble. In a short time 
the factory was moved to 25-27 Beekman St., 
where it remained until the Civil War broke 
out in 1861. 

22 




In a letter from Mr. 
Preble, Mar. 15, 1904, he 
said, the machines bought 
from Bell & Gould were 
built by Gerhard Sickles, 
but we have not been 
able to learn anything 
about Mr. Sickles except 
that he built these ma- 
chines and that he once 
worked for Geo. F. Nesbitt 
j. q. Prebie, about 1880 & Co., in the construction 
when about 50 years of age f envelope machines. 

There is no record that Mr. Sickles ever 
made application for patents on any of his 
inventions, so the early steps of this pioneer 
in envelope machinery invention have with 
the passing years been obliterated. In those 
early years of industry in this country, practi- 
cally in all lines of development, inventors 
were very suspicious and consequently very 
secretive. They had little faith in patent 
protection and for that lack of faith they 
cannot be blamed. Many of them believed 
then, as some manufacturers still believe, 
that the best protection on an invention is 
eternal vigilance plus a lock and key. 

Even James Greene Arnold, of Worcester, 
Mass., the inventor of one of the first envelope 
machines in the United States, described in 
Red Envelope, No. 9, Chapter V, while a 
patent solicitor himself, did not take out 
patents on either one of the two envelope 
machines which he invented. He evidently 
preferred to take his chances behind a locked 

23 



door, so far as protecting his machines were 
concerned, but he patented the envelope 
which, when out in the market, would be 
available for inspection by everybody. 

In Appleton's Dictionary of Engineering, 
1867, Vol. 1, page 615, they say of Bell & 
Gould's envelope machine — "The only Amer- 
ican machine in practical use is one secretly 
used by Bell & Gould, Nassau St., New York, 
but we are unable to give any details respect- 
ing it." 

This statement is not historically correct, 
for the R. L. Hawes envelope machine was 
patented in 1853, the first successful envelope 
machine granted a patent in the United 
States. (See Red Envelope, No. IV.) 

The Puffer envelope machine was in 
operation as early as 1854 (See Red Enve- 
lope, No. XII). The Arnold machine was 
in operation but not very successfully as 
early as 1853-1856 (See Red Envelope, 
No. VII) and the Reay envelope machine 
was patented in 1863 (See Red Envelope, 
No. V). 

In 1861, the Preble factory was moved 
from 25-27 Beekman St. to 54-56 Franklin St., 
and 77 White St. This factory was completely 
destroyed by fire on July 3, 1887. 

J. B. Sheffield & Son, of Saugerties, New 
York, had been one of J. Q. Preble & Co.'s 
sources of supply for paper both for the 
blank book and envelope departments and 
now that the New York plant had been 
completely destroyed and it was necessary 

24. 



to make a new start from the foundation, an 
arrangement was entered into between the 
Preble and Sheffield interests to consolidate 
and erect new factory buildings adjoining 
the plant of the paper mill at Saugerties, 
N. Y. Accordingly two large buildings, 
50x170, four stories, were erected and plans 
were laid for further expansion, should that 
be found necessary. Wm. R. Sheffield 
managed the manufacturing departments of 
the mills at Saugerties, Fairchild and Walter 
E. Preble superintended the commercial 
end of the blank book and envelope depart- 
ments in New York. 



Mr. Preble's son, Walter 
E . Preble, who was born in 
1860, was admitted to a 
partnership in the business 
in 1886 and was assistant 
to his father in the active 
management of the busi- 
ness. 

By 1889, the burden of 
the debt brought about 
through extensive borrow- 
ing to cover the costs of the 
expansion of the Saugerties 
business had accumulated 
to a point that made it unbearable. 




Walter E. Preble 
1888 



They had borrowed heavily and learned to 
their sorrow, when too late, that giving notes 
and signing acceptances did not settle obliga- 
tions and the collapse of the expanded enter- 
prise followed. 



Under a plan for the reorganization of the 
Sheffield & Preble interests, August 5, 1890, 
the Sheffield Mfg. Co. was incorporated 
with Wm. R. Sheffield as President, and Mr. 
Preble retired from the business. 

The entire equipment of the Preble Co. 
having been destroyed in the fire of July 3, 
1887, the new factory at Saugerties, New 
York, was equipped with envelope machines 
called the "Reliance." 

These machines were built in Buffalo, New 
York, by Vloker & Felthousen, under the 
direction of Mr. Louis P. Bouvier, who is 
now the senior member of the firm of Bouvier 
& Hutchinson, of Toronto, Ontario. 

In 1892, the company went through another 




Reliance Envelope Machine, Side View 
20 



reorganization and was incorporated as the 
Saugerties Mfg. Co., and under the able 
management of Mr. H. Gillespy has been very 
successful. 

In 1907, the Saugerties Mfg. Co. retired 
from the envelope business, selling their 
machinery plant to the United States Enve- 
lope Company. 

Mr. Preble died in New York, June 23, 1909, 
aged 83 years. 

Mr. W. M. Perkins, of the Raynor & Per- 
kins Envelope Co., began work for the J. Q. 
Preble & Co. in 1874, and continued with 
them until their failure in 1889. 




Reliance Envelope Machine, Front View 
From J. Q. Prebie Co., 1907 

27 



The following year he organized the Per- 
kins Envelope Co., which, on Jan. 1, 1896, 
was consolidated with the Raynor Envelope 
Co. (See Red Envelope, No. 21, Chapter 

XV.) 



JAMES LOGAN, 

General, Manages. 



28 





H 




^sIsW 




The Hall-mark of Quality 


®fje 


Srtu lEttfolop? 


February, 


1924 Number 22 


F 


PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
in Buffalo, New York 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company, 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

In looking up the beginnings of a business 
when almost all of those who had a part in 
that beginning have passed away, it is not 
always possible to separate legends from 
historical facts and errors are bound to creep 
in, but it would seem as if the first envelope 
factory in Buffalo was in operation in 1863, 
for in the Directory of that year we find this 
advertisement : 

The Buffalo Paper Warehouse & Envelope 
Manufacturers 

E. R. Jewett & Co., 
188 Washington Street, 
Buffalo, N. Y. 

The attention of the trade is directed to 
the new branch of the Buffalo Manufacturing, 
having an entirely new machine of very 
recent invention, capable of double the 
amount of work per machine, over any now 
in use, and having the advantage of pro- 



curing paper at the manufacturers' rates. 
Our facilities for manufacturing of envelopes 
are such as to enable us to def}^ competition. 

We propose to manufacture and keep on 
hand all the leading styles of envelopes of 
all grades and shades. 

We invite careful comparison of both 
goods and prices with those of eastern manu- 
facture, and we feel confident that we can 
make it an object to dealers to purchase our 
goods. Samples and price lists will be sent 
on application. 

E. R. Jewett & Co. 

The envelope machine referred to is doubt- 
less the Reay envelope machine, that being 
the only envelope machine then in the market. 

In 1864, a man named Vandome or Ven- 
dome, who had been an envelope cutter in 
New York City, came to Buffalo and asso- 
ciated himself with a man named Charles 
Prosser and started in the envelope business, 
using the Reay folding machine. This was 
the second envelope factory in Buffalo. 

In 1865, John E. Marshall purchased 
Prosser' s interest and continued the business 
with Vandome, and about a year later he 
acquired Vandome 's interest. 

One of the specialties which they manu- 
factured under their patent was the Marshall 
Double Fold Safety Express envelope. 

In 1880, John E. Marshall failed and his 
brother Charles D. Marshall took over the 
business which was operated for quite a 
good many years under the name of the 
Niagara Envelope Company. 




In June, 1908, the es- 
tate of Charles D. Mar- 
shall sold the Niagara En- 
velope Co. to F. H. Fisher 
and F. G. Pierce, and it 
is now being operated by 
them under the original 
name. 

The third envelope fac- 
tory in Buffalo, N. Y., 
charies d. Marshall was operated by Wm. H. 
Bork, who manufactured 
envelopes in connection 
with his book-bindery. On the death of Mr. 
Bork, his nephew, Mr. M. M. Bork, operated 
the plant for some time, and on March 4, 
1911, he sold the plant to Ailing & Gory, 
who are operating it at the present time. 

The fourth envelope factory in Buffalo, 
N. Y., was started in 1888 by Edwin L. 
Burdick, who had been previously employed 
in a lithographic establishment. His com- 
pany was called the Burdick Envelope Co. 
In February, 1895 ; they had a fire which 
practically destroyed the plant. They sal- 
vaged what they could of the machinery 
and reestablished themselves at the corner 
of vS. Division and Ellicott Streets, and 
chaneed the name to Burdick Envelope 
Mfg. Co. 

In about three years they moved to 45 
N. Division Street and about 1901 Mr. 
Risley Tucker bought a half interest from 
Mr. Burdick and the name was changed to 
the Buffalo Envelope Company. 



There was a Toronto, Ontario, man, a 
paper ruler by trade, by the name of E. W. 
Blackhall, who, with a machinist by the 
name of Robert Anderson, built a few envelope 
machines in Buffalo, and this was the machine 
operated by the Burdick Envelope Com- 
pany, but the machine was never much of 
a success and few machines were ever built. 

In February, 1903, Mr. Burdick was 
mysteriously murdered. Soon after this 
Mr. Risley Tucker bought from the Bur- 
dick estate the balance of the stock, and in 
March, 1903, Mr. Fred McB. Dorris asso- 
ciated himself with Mr. Tucker. On July 1, 
1919, Mr. Fred McB. Dorris and G. L. 
Reineman acquired the interest of Mr. 
Tucker and have continued the business under 
the same name, Buffalo Envelope Company. 

In 1872, Mr. Louis P. Bouvier, now of the 
firm of Bouvier & Hutchinson of Toronto, 
having served his apprenticeship as a machin- 
ist, entered the employ of Ray & Taylor, 
paper collar manufacturers, at Chicopee, 
Mass., and remained with 
them about two years. 
When he was employed 
by the Morgan Envelope 
Company under Mr. W. 
D. Slater, he remained 
with them till 1876. He 
then went to Berlin & 
Jones, of New York City, 
remaining there about a 
year, returning to the Mor- 
gan Envelope Co., where 

? . 1 -11 t\ t -i nrrn Louls P- Bouvier 

he remained till May, 18/9. , n 1880 . 3 o years of age . 




He then had an opportunity to go to Toronto, 
Ontario, to start the Barber & Ellis Company 
in the envelope business and while working 
for them he designed the "Reliance" Envel- 
ope Machine. It was this machine with 
which J. Q. Preble Co., of New York, was 




Louis P. Bouvier Envelope Machine, 
Patent 422,286, Feb. 25, 1890. 



re-equipped after their fire in 1887. These 
machines were built in Buffalo by the Volker 
& Felthousen Co., Mr. Bouvier superintend- 
ing their construction, going from Toronto 
once or twice a week for that purpose. In 
1902, Mr. Bouvier started in business for 
himself and at the ripe age of 72 is still in 
active business. 



In 1883, Mr. Bouvier 
built for John Dickinson 
Company, of London, Eng- 
land, the Reliance Ma- 
chine, which was installed 
at their mill at Boxmore, 
England. In 1902, he 
built for the Dickinson 
Company four more ma- 
chines, since which time 
the Dickinson works has 
been thoroughly equipped 
with the Bouvier machines. 




Louis P. Bouvier 
1923 — Aged 72 years 



One of the principal features of the Re- 
liance Envelope Machine was what is known 
as the wipe seal, i. e., the picker which dis- 
tributed the gum on the sealing flap as it 
left the paper gave it a wiping motion. 

In December of this year Mr. C. W. Iliff, 
the manager of the Boxmore works of John 
Dickinson Company, paid a flying visit to 
Canada and the United States and when in 
Toronto called on Mr. Bouvier and was de- 
lighted to meet the man whose machine they 
were operating. He said the girls in their 
factory who operate these machines are 
known all over the works as the "Bouvier 
girls." 

JAMES LOGAN, 

General, Manager. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
In Philadelphia, Penn. 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company, 

Worcester, Mass. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

In the decade of 50's a factory for making 
envelopes was established by two men by 
the name of Tobey. 

Samuel Tobey 
Caleb S. Tobey 

Envelope Manufacturers, 
233 South 5th Street, Philadelphia. 

Their plant was on Fifth Street, east side, 
below Walnut. Of their machinery (if they 
had any) little is known at the present time 
but they had a large number of dies and did 
much work by hand. 

On the death of the surviving brother the 
plant was sold and distributed. 

W. E. and E. D. Lockwood, in the early 
'60s, were installed in a large building, No. 
251 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia, where 
they were manufacturers in a large way of 



paper collars, the consumption of which 
during the years of the Civil War was enor- 
mous. 

About this time they decided to enter 
into the envelope business and they bought 
or constructed envelope-folding machines 
known as the Pette machine, which was the 
invention of S. E. Pette of Philadelphia. 
His first application for a patent being for 
a side-seam envelope for which he took out 
a patent March 22 . 1859, and it was this 
envelope he made on his machine. On 
May 29, 1860, he patented the machine for 
making this envelope, being numbered 28,537. 
This machine cut the envelope from a con- 
tinuous roll and was made with the seams 
at each end, and was of course a self -gummed 
envelope when completed. 



Robt. Parks' Envelope 
Patent 56,325 
July 10, 1866 



Messrs. Lockwood entered into the manu- 
facture of envelopes with their accustomed 
energy and ability and created a large market 
for their product. They also manufactured 
in a large way all sizes of open-end envelopes 
which found a ready sale in the notion trade. 



After the death of the surviving brother, 
Mr. Charles Lockwood, the envelope ma- 
chinery was disposed of and they then gave 
their attention to the manufacture of folding 
boxes. 

On July 10, 1866, Robert Parks, of Phila- 
delphia, Pa., a young and ingenious mechanic, 
patented a machine for making an improved 
envelope and assigned all his rights to W. E. 
and E. D. Lockwood and E. J. Spangler. 
The gumming and drying portion of the 
machine was invented by John Armstrong 
of Philadelphia, Pa., and was patented in 
1862. The completed machine may be said 
to be the combined invention of S. E. Pette, 
Robert Parks, John Armstrong, and John W. 
Cooper, _ all their improvements increasing 
the efficiency of the machine. 

On January 29, 1916, Wm. Peterman of 
the Lockwood Folding Box Co., No. 509 
South 44th Street, Philadelphia, wrote me 
that John Armstrong and Robert Park took 
out patents which were grafted on Pette's 
machine. Mr. Park afterward worked for 
E. J. Spangler & Co. as a machinist and 
adjuster, also building machines for them 
for which patents were issued. He died some 
years ago. 



Description of the Lockwood Envelope- 
Folding Machine exhibited at the Centen- 
nial Exposition in 1876, by the Lockwood 
Mfg. Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 

As these machines have gone the way of 
all works of man, none being now in existence, 
this description, taken from the official re- 
port of the Exposition, will no doubt be of 
interest to the men of the present generation. 

Another great source of public attraction 
is the Lockwood Manufacturing Company's 
very perfect and interesting machinery for 
making envelopes. Let us take a look at 
the machine itself. The paper from which 
the envelopes are cut is fed into the machine 
from large rolls after the fashion of news- 
papers which are printed from the web, the 
web in the case of the envelopes, however, 
being kept slack. On being drawn into the 
machine by rollers the paper is caught be- 
tween two side guides controlled by springs, 
which keep it always in the center, but have 
sufficient expansive power to allow any 
inequalities in the edges of the paper to pass. 
The paper then passes under six knives, 
hanging from a cross-head frame, which has 
an up-and-down motion, which cut the 
corners for folding, etc., before it comes under 
the operation of the creasers. Two of these 
creasers turn over the side edges ready for 
pasting and the third makes the crease which 
is to form the bottom edge of the envelope. 
The edges of the envelope next pass under 

12 



two small and narrow rolls which are governed 
by cams. The rolls being fed with paste from 
tubular reservoirs above, paste the edges of 
the paper where desirable, the action of the 
cams causing the rolls to jump the parts 
where no paste is wanted, or rather where 
its absence is necessary. Passing on, the 
half-made envelope is struck by a second 
set of knives, three in number; of the two, 
the first one cuts off the unnecessary edge of 
the overlap and the other cuts out the shape 
of the cover. The third knife, which is heavy 
and blunt, catches the envelope at the 
creased line which is to form the inside of 
the bottom edge, and drives the envelope 
down between two rollers, in passing through 
which the envelope is folded and the side 
edges are firmly pasted together. The 
envelopes are caught in endless tapes, which 
are carried by a series of slowly revolving 
wheels. Each envelope laps closely over 
the one behind it, thus the only portion of 
all the envelopes which remains exposed is 
the three-eighths of an inch of the inside cover, 
which has to be gummed so that the envelope 
can be sealed when it is used. These tapes 
carry the envelopes around one large wheel 
forty inches in diameter, and thirteen smaller 
ones, each thirty inches in diameter; these 
wheels, over which the envelope passes on 
its back being cut out so as not to interfere 
at all with the drying gum. As the envelopes 
pass over the large wheel they are struck by 
a flat revolving brush which is fed with gum- 
arabic from a roller revolving in a reservoir, 
and which transfers it to the envelopes, 
gumming some half a dozen of them at each 

13 



revolution. Immediately above, the envel- 
opes pass under a fan, which has an exceed- 
ingly rapid revolution, the action of which 
gives it a great tendency to dry quickly on 
the paper. And then the envelopes go on 
their long journey around the thirteen smaller 
wheels, being perfectly sound and dry be- 
fore they reach the last one, and entirely 
complete with the exception of folding over 
the gummed cover. On leaving the last 
wheel the envelopes pass into a machine 
which performs this very service and then 
slides them over plates into brass boxes placed 
at intervals around a revolving carriage 
plate, in which they are automatically 
counted. On its way to the boxes the envel- 
ope passes, as I have said, over a plate. 
This plate has two holes in it, in which two 
expanding punches work with a vertical 
motion. If an envelope skips, the punches 
descend through the holes, but as no expan- 
sion takes place they return without having 
added to the count. When, however, an 
envelope is on the plate, the punch expands 
and the pressure depresses the plate. The 
plate has a connecting rod governing the 
shaft, to an arm on which a pawl, working in 
a ratchet, is attached. The depression of the 
plate thus reacts on the pawl and, tooth by 
tooth, at every stroke of the arm, the ratchet 
revolves. The ratchet, however, has a heavy 
dog attached to it, opposite its twenty-fifth 
tooth and the machine is so arranged that 
when twenty-five envelopes have passed 
between the plate and the expansion punches, 
the dog shall strike, in passing, a cog on the 
vertical shaft which carries the revolving 



carriage, on the plate of which the brass 
envelope boxes are placed, and give just a 
sufficient turn to bring the next box into 
position. As fast as the envelopes are re- 
moved from the brass boxes the ordinary 
fastenings are bound around them and they 
are packed away in large boxes. This ma- 
chinery is built in the machine shop of the 
Messrs. Lockwoods, and is the result of ten 
years of patient labor, both of brain and 
muscle; it attracts vast crowds of people, 
mechanics among the number, who seem to 
be fascinated by its automatic working 
powers. 

The following report from the pen of Sir 
Sydney H. Waterlow, of London, England, 
is high praise indeed. At his request the 
full jury of award inspected the machinery, 
and unanimously confirmed his report. The 
United States Centennial Commission has 
further approved and confirmed the same by 
awarding a first class medal and diploma. 

"Automatic Envelope Machinery, Messrs 
W. E. and E. D. Lockwood, Philadelphia. 
Deserving great commendation for origin- 
ality of design and construction. The only 
machine exhibited that cuts the envelopes 
from the web of paper. It produces the 
envelopes complete and ready for use, at 
the rate of 120 per minute — on an improved 
economical principle . ' ' 

. In the American Machinist of February 24, 
1921, were "Reminiscences of an Old Ma- 
chinist," by R. Thomas Huntington, and as 
he makes brief reference to experiences at 



the plant of W. E. and E. D. Lockwood, we 
quote : — 

"I eventually secured employment with 
the Lockwood Manufacturing Co., manufac- 
turers of paper collars and cuffs. Not a 
promising place for a young machinist, you 
will say, but the mechanical interest was 
supplied by two brothers named Packer, 
who had patented and were building a ma- 
chine for making envelopes for the Lockwood 
Company. This machine I helped to finish 
and put into successful operation, as well 
as four succeeding machines that not only 
cut, pasted and folded the envelopes but 
stacked them in packets of 25 each, put a 
paper band around each packet and put 
the packets in a box ready for shipment. 

"The superintendent of the Lockwood 
plant, one of the most efficient superintend- 
ents I ever saw, was a woman, whose name I 
have forgotten. She had all the details of 
the business well in hand and managed the 
several departments so well and so unob- 
trusively that there was never any friction or 
misunderstanding. She did not remain long 
after I went there, however; she resigned to 
get married and her place was taken by a 
man, who, though professing to know it all, 
was far from being as capable as she. 

"This man was the cause of the brothers 
Packer closing out their machine shop at 
the Lockwood plant and moving elsewhere. 
It was nearly a year before they again be- 
came established and in the meantime I had 
to have a job, which I soon found at the plant 
of Samuel Merrick & Son, known at that 
time as the Southwark Foundry." 

1(3 



Philadelphia and Reading R. R. Stationer 

The Red Envelope has sailed into many 
quiet harbors and there have come back to 
the port of embarkation many words of 
appreciation. 

It has caused busy men to turn back the 
leaves in the book of memory. One such 
letter comes from Mr. Louis F. Beneke, 
Stationer of the Philadelphia & Reading 
R. R., from whose letter we quote* — 

"I have certainly enjoyed reading the last 
issue of the Red Envelope, No. 12, from 
your 'G. M.' 

"I well remember years ago we had envel- 
opes made at a local factory in Philadelphia 
in blank (i. e., plain) and we then sent them 
to the printers. It was the idea of 'yours 
truly' to have them printed when made. 

"I also distinctly remember that the printer 
who formerly had the contract for printing 
all these envelopes here in the city threatened 
not only to give me a licking for taking the 
business away from him, but actually one 
day just missed me with a nice upper cut 
when the matter was under discussion." 

E. J. Spangler & Co., having an interest 
in the envelope machine operated by the 
Lockwoods, began the manufacture of en- 
velopes in 1860. The company was com- 
posed of Christian P. Spangler and his two 
sons, E. J. Spangler and Charles Spangler. 

17 



Christian was born in Lebanon County, Pa., 
September, 1809, and died in Merchantville, 

N. J., February, 1885. 

He was brought up on a farm and came 
to Philadelphia in 1834 and engaged in the 
dry goods business. He was one of the first 
directors of the Penn. R. R. 

E. J. Spangler was born in Philadelphia, 
1841, and died in Philadelphia, 1897, and 
Charles Spangler, his brother, was born in 
Philadelphia, December, 1843, and died in 
Philadelphia in April, 1897. 

After the death of Christian, the two sons 
took over the business; and on the death of 
Charles, his brother, E. J. Spangler, bought 
his interest and became the sole owner, and 
on his death the business was operated by 
his widow up to the time of her death in 
January, 1901, when her two daughters 
succeeded to the business. 

The business was originally located at 
507 Minor Street (now Ludlow Street). 
The business was incorporated in 1904 and 
the name changed to E. J. Spangler Co., 
and in 1906 it was removed to its present 
quarters, 1237-1249 N. Howard Street. 



18 



The House of Cohen 

In the decade between 1840 and 1850, 
Henry Cohen, father of Charles J. Cohen, 
was in Paris and was shown a novelty con- 
sisting of what we now know as an envelope; 
it was made of tinted paper, with an un- 
gummed flap rather well cut, banded in 
twenty-fives, packed in ornamented, fancy 
pasteboard cartons of one hundred envelopes, 
or four packs of twenty-five each. The 
envelope itself was cut by a die, but all the 
other processes were done by hand, and 
with the usual French neatness that has 
always prevailed in goods made in that 
country. The price appeared to be excessive 
so that only a very small quantity was or- 
dered, but on their arrival in Philadelphia 
they were eagerly absorbed and repeat orders 
soon established an excellent business. 

In the decade beginning with 1850, Henry 
Cohen realized that the article could be 
readily produced in the United States, and 
he thereupon equipped suitable quarters 
in a building on a small street running north 
of Chestnut and east of Fifth, adjoining a 
colonial building which had been occupied 
for very many years by Sully, the famous 
artist and portrait painter. After some 
years the premises were found to be too 
restricted, and in 1859 the building at 507 
Chestnut Street was secured for the general 
wholesale stationery business. 

19 









" ™-^™* ~* 


, 






liirl 


■ — 1 








i 






II 

4 






■ 1 















Office and Warehouse, 42 North 4th Street, 
afterwards renumbered 58 North 4th Street. 
Henry Cohen to 1859. 



Mr. Cohen rented rooms in a building on 
Minor Street, the next street north of Chest- 
nut, the rear of which opened into a court- 
yard known as Crockett's Court, private 
property belonging to the Ridgeway estate. 

In these rooms the making of envelopes 
by hand was carried on, on a proper scale 
until the year 1862, the superintendent being 
a man by the name of Balmain, a typical 
Scotsman both in appearance and language. 



20 




Building on left-hand side is envelope 
factory, Crockett's Court above Fifth Street, 
rear of Nos. 511-513 Chestnut Street, Phila- 
delphia. 

Henry Cohen, 1862-1870 
Charles J. Cohen, 1870-1895 

The grated windows facing are of the Bank 
Building, fronting on Chestnut Street ad- 
joining on the west. 

In 1862, it was found necessary to produce 
a larger quantity and at minimum prices in 
order to meet the demand and requirements 
of the trade, hence a four-story building on 
the above named Crockett's Court was 
secured with the intention of establishing a 
steam power plant. The late Dr. Benjamin 
Rush who was interested in the property 
through his association with the Ridgeway 

21 



family, inspected the building and refused 
to permit the introduction of a boiler on the 
ground of the great risk of explosion. After 
much debate it was agreed that a special 
vault should be constructed in the court- 
yard where the boiler might be placed, and 
where for many years the motive power was 
produced. 

The latest machinery available at that 
date was introduced, the pattern being 
known as DufT Envelope Folding machine, 
where a girl sat in front feeding the envelopes 
and the other girl sat at the back picking 
them up, banding and boxing. 




DUFF & KEATING, Patented Feb. 1, 1859 
[From an old advertisement] 



A few years later the self-feeding envelope 
machine was introduced, made by George H. 
Reay of New York, but it was not until 
early in the seventies that the Allen self- 



■2 2 



gumming and folding machine, predecessor 
of the Lester & Wasley machine, was ob- 
tained. A number of these latter were in- 
stalled and did excellent work, gumming the 
envelope on the flap and at the same opera- 
tion attaching the gum to the lower wings, 
so that the envelope was gummed and 
pasted down at the one operation. 

In 1873, Mr. Allen, who was then living at 
Norwich, Conn., perfected a press for print- 
ing envelopes in the cut-out blank, the prede- 
cessor of the modern automatic printing 
press. The feeding was arranged with fine 
steel points like a series of needles, which 
lifted the envelope from the pile of blanks, 
and carried it through to the cylinder on 
which was fastened the printing plate. The 
work done was excellent, but the stationers 
and printers were not ready at that period 
to make use of the minimum prices that were 
offered for the printing of envelopes, and in 
fact it was a number of years before it could 
be demonstrated that the printing of envel- 
opes by this process was desirable both as 
to appearance, execution and cost. 

Charles J. Cohen was born in Philadelphia, 
September 21, 1847, in a house on the south 
side of Chestnut Street above Broad, where 
the Land Title Building now stands. 

His father, Henry Cohen, throughout his 
career in Philadelphia, enjoyed the respect 
and confidence of his fellow citizens, occupying 
positions of honor and trust. 

In 1862-3 Charles J. Cohen visited Eng- 
land, remaining there for nearly two years 

23 



attending school. On his return to this 
country in 1863, at the age of 15, finding that 
his father was in failing health, he entered 
the establishment and, when of age, became 
a partner in the firm; his father, Henry 
Cohen, retiring in 1871. 





Henry Cohen 



Chas. J. Cohen 



Mr. Charles J. Cohen is still actively 
engaged in the business. 

The Wolf brothers started in the envelope 
business in 1879, they having been previously 
engaged in the printing business. 



JAMES LOGAN, 

■ General, Manager. 



24 




The Hall-mark of Quality 

March, 1924 Number 23 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Beginnings of the Envelope Industry 
in Worcester, Mass. 

(Continued from Red Envelope No. 4) 

by 

JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company, 

Worcester, Mass. 



Russell L. Hawes 1853 

Hartshorn & Trumbull 1857 

Trumbull, Waters & Co. 1861 

Hill, Devoe & Co. 1866 
W. H. Hill 

W. H. Hill Envelope Co. 1892 
W. H. Hill Envelope Co. Div. 

(United States Envelope Co.) 1898 

CHAPTER XIX. 

(Continued from Red Envelope No. 4.) 

In No. 4 issue of the Red Envelope, Febru- 
ary, 1916, Chapter 11, on pages 17 to 23, refer- 
ence was made to the beginnings of the W. H. 
Hill Envelope Company. 

It was at this plant that the first successful 
envelope machine was invented in this coun- 
try and built (for detail see Red Envelope 
No. 4, pp. 17 to 23). Below, we show photo- 
graph of one of the young mechanics who 
assisted Mr. Hawes in its construction. 





William Lawrence 
24 years of age 



William Lawrence 
80 years of age 



Mr. Lawrence located the date when he 
was working with Mr. Hawes on this machine 
as July 14, 1852, that being the day Holy 
Cross College, at Worcester, was burned. 

We also show the picture 
of Lorenzo Bingham, the 
blacksmith, who forged the 
first envelope-cutting dies 
for R. L. Hawes, at Wor- 
cester, Mass. 

Mr. Wade Hampton 
Hill, who from 1866 up to 
the time of his death on 
Jan. 30, 1892, was the con- 
trolling spirit in the affairs 
of the company which 
bears his name. 

He was born in New York City, Feb. 27, 
1834. His family moving to Batavia, New 
York, he received his education in the public 
schools of that city. 

In 1848, at the age of 14, he obtained em- 
ployment as a clerk in a woodenware store in 




Lorenzo Bingham 



New York City. He remained there about 
a year and then became a clerk in the store 
of the Dunham Piano Co., where he remained 
until 1854, leaving that year to become a 
salesman for the Berlin & Jones' Envelope 
Company, remaining with them till the 
spring of 1865, when, at the age of 31 years, 
he came to Worcester, Mass., buying out the 
firm of Trumbull, Waters & Co., manufac- 
turers of envelopes, and organized the firm 
of Hill, Devoe & Co., his partner being his 
brother-in-law, Mr. Charles H. Devoe. 





Charles H. Devoe 
1874 



Charles H. Devoe 
Later in life 



Mr. Devoe was a partner of Mr. Hill for 
many years and became a director when the 
W. H. Hill Envelope Co. was incorporated. 
He resigned in 1898. 

He was born in New York City, Aug. 20, 
1837, and received his education in the City 
of New York and, since his retirement from 
the business, has made his home in New 
York City, where he is still living at the ripe 
age of 88 years. 




The first home of the W. H. Hill Envelope Co. was in the 
upper story of this building, at Grafton Square. 




he present home of the W. H. Hill Envelope Company, Water Street, which was built in 1890. 

Mr. Abram A. Rheutan was born in Pater- 
son, N. J., on Aug. 20, 1837, and after re- 
ceiving a public school education he entered 
the employ of Duff & Keating, New York 
City, who were among the pioneer builders 
of envelope machinery in the United States. 
He left Duff & Keating to become Superin- 
tendent of the Berlin & Jones Envelope Com- 
pany and later he became Superintendent 
for Samuel Raynor & Company of New York, 
and from there he went to the Hill factory, 
at Worcester, Mass. 

In 1867 Mr. Abram A. Rheutan, who had 
known Mr. Hill in New York where he had 
been Superintendent of the Berlin & Jones 
Envelope Company, and Samuel Raynor 



Company, came to Worcester, as Superin- 
tendent of the Hill factory, a position he 
held for thirty-one years. He resigned in 
1898 and died March 15, 1913. 

Mrs. A. Stringham, 1257 Bedford Avenue, 
Brooklyn, New York, wrote me Sept. 28, 
1916, that her father, J. B. Duff (see Red 
Envelope No. 7, pages 7, 8, 9, worked for 
Berlin & Jones and also for Samuel Ray nor 
& Co. and also for a man named White, 
whom he afterwards bought out, for she 
remembered in her youth seeing a note book, 
on the cover of which it read "J. B. Duff, 
successor to E. C. White, Water St., New 
York." 

Mrs. Stringham's uncle, Mr. Duff, brought 
young Rheutan, then a lad in his teens, to 
their home in Peekskill, New York, fresh 
from the farm. Later, Mr. Duff took him 
into the shop and still later, made him Super- 
intendent. 





Abram A. Rheutan Abram A. Rheutan 

1867 1898 



Mr. Rheutan was the inventor of much 
of the machinery in the W. H. Hill Envelope 
Co. factory. 

There is shown below the patent office 
model, No. 133,800, Dec. 10, 1872, one of 
his earliest inventions. 




an envelope-folding 
machine, which was not a self-gummer, 
which is shown on the following page. 



He next invented 
machine, which was 




Rheutan envelope-folding machine, front view 
(not a self-gummer) 




Rheutan envelope-folding machine, side view 
(not a self-gummer) 

10 



To supplement this machine he built a 
sealing machine, which completed the equip- 
ment. 




Rheutan Sealing Machine 



11 



iiitvWftii 



Double Reay Machine Developed by A. A. Rheutan 




Mr. Rheutan's completed self-gi 
12 



ing envelope 



Isaac L. Rheutan, son 
of Abram A. Rheutan, 
was born in Worcester, 
Mass. — was educated in 
the public schools of the 
city and the Worcester 
Polytechnic Institute, 
graduating in the class 
of 1889. He at once be- 
came the Assistant Super- 
intendent of the W. H. 
Hill Co. and on the 
resignation of Abram A. 
Rheutan as Superintendent, he was appointed 
Superintendent of the W. H. Hill Envelope 
Co. Div. of the United States Envelope Co., 
which position he held till 1902, when he 
resigned to become Superintendent of the 
Union Envelope Co., Richmond, Va. 




Isaac L. Rheutan 
When a young man 




Isaac L. Rheutan 
Later in life 




Charles W. Gray 
1865 — 21 years 



Mr. Charles W. Gray 
was connected with the 
W. H. Hill Envelope Co. 
for over thirty years. He 
was born in West Barn- 
stable, Mass., June 10, 
1844. Was a student at 
Amherst College in 1860 
and 1861. He taught 
school at Newport, R. I., 
in 1862 and was a Medical 
Cadet, U. S. Army Hos- 
pital, Portsmouth Grove, 
N. H., in 1863. In that 
year he was drafted but was exempted by 
reason of being already in the Service. He 
was a student in the Medical Department of 
Harvard University in 1863-4. For the next 
five years he taught school: Military Super- 
intendent and teacher of mathematics Alex- 
ander Institute, White Plains, New York; 
Principal Windsor Academy, Windsor, New 
York; Principal Deposit Academy, Deposit, 
New York; Sellecks Boarding School, South 
Norwalk, Conn. ; Principal Grafton High 
School, Grafton, Mass.; with Sanford & Co., 
booksellers and stationers, Worcester, Mass., 
in 1871, when he resigned to accept a position 
as correspondent and salesman for G. Henry 
Whitcomb & Co., Envelope Manufacturers, 
Worcester, Mass., where he remained until 
July 1, 1873. He then associated himself 
with Hill, Devoe & Co. and when Mr. Hill 
died in 1892, and the company was re- 
organized and incorporated under the name 
of the W. H. Hill Envelope Company, Mr. 
Gray was elected President and held that 



office until the company, on Aug. 18, 1898, 
became one of the subsidiaries of the United 
States Envelope Company. 

He was elected Manager of the W. H. Hill 
Envelope Co. Div. and 
continued as such till 1903, 
when he resigned and a 
little later was one of the 
organizers of the New Eng- 
land Envelope Co., Wor- 
cester, Mass., of which he 
was President at the time 
of his death, which oc- 
curred Dec. 21, 1921. 




Charles W. Gray 
1901 



When the United States 
Envelope Co. was organ- 
ized in Aug., 1898, the W. 
H. Hill Envelope Company became one of 
the Divisions of the Consolidated Company. 

No record of the W. H. Hill Envelope Co. 
would be complete without a reference to 
Mr. H. M. Wood, who, from 1878 to 1898, 
was a member of the staff of the W. H. Hill 





H. M. Wood 
about 1880 



H. M. Wood 
Later in life 



Envelope Co. and who, from 1876 to 1879, 
had been a member of the office staff of G. 
Henry Whitcomb & Co. On the formation 
of the United States Envelope Company, in 
August, 1898, he became the chief clerk to the 
General Manager, remaining as such up to 
the time of his death on Jan. 7, 1917. He 
thus gave to the United States Envelope Co. 
and its constituent companies a service of 
over forty years. He was an intelligent, 
tireless worker, giving to the company every 
ounce of energy of which he was possessed. 
No day was too long for him if there was 
work needing to be done. 

JAMES LOGAN, 

General Manager, 



16 




The Hall-mark of Quality 



3Hf* Srii lEnfelnp? 



July, 1925 



Number 24 



PRESS OF 

PLIMPTON MANUFACTURING CO. 

division 

Hartford, Conn. 



The Story of the Envelope 

by 
JAMES LOGAN, General Manager 

The United States Envelope Company 
Worcester, Mass. 



With the present issue of the Red Envel- 
ope (No. 24) the story of the beginnings of 
the envelope industry in the United States 
comes to a close. 

It has entailed a lot of work — ■ in fact, had 
the author known at the start how much 
work it would entail, he fears it never would 
have been undertaken. 

But now that it is finished he is glad that 
he has been permitted to make a record of 
what the pioneers in the business accom- 
plished in laying the foundations on which 
we of a later generation have built the super- 
structure of today. 

A Few Words About Paper 

The raw material of the envelope maker is 
paper; so the story of the origin and early 
history of paper and paper making must 
have an interest to envelope makers. The 



history of paper cannot now with accuracy 
be told because over its beginnings the mantle 
of obscurity has been thrown. Its history 
was not written down at the beginning and 
so in large measure the story of its beginnings 
has been lost. 

It is claimed that at a very early date the 
Chinese had a knowledge of paper making 
and writers have claimed to trace its history 
back to the second century B. C. 

In the eighth century the Chinese invaded 
Arabia and were defeated by the Arabs, who 
made prisoners of some of the invaders, 
and tradition says, from these prisoners the 
Arabs learned the art of paper making. 

This accounts for the fact that many of 
the earliest paper manuscripts dating from 
the ninth and tenth centuries are of Arabic 
origin. 

There is preserved in University Library 
of Leiden, a treatise on the rare and curious 
words in the sayings of Mahomet and his 
companions written in the year A. D. 866, 
which is probably one of the oldest paper 
manuscripts in existence. In the British 
Museum is preserved the paper manuscript 
of a treatise by an Arabian physician on the 
nourishment of the different members of the 
body. This is dated A. D. 960 and is the 
oldest dated Arabic paper manuscript of 
which there is any knowledge. The material 
from which most of the Arabic paper was made 
was linen; but flax, cotton and other vege- 
table fibres were later used. 

Coming down more nearly to our own time, 



before the invention of paper-making machin- 
ery, paper was made by hand and the process 
was about as follows : The stock, having been 
reduced to pulp, was stored in tubs or vats. 
The paper makers' mold, or form, was com- 
posed of two parts, one form being prac- 
tically a wire sieve tacked to a frame the size 
of the sheet to be made. The other form 
fitted round the edge of the wire sieve quite 
like a frame on a picture, being perhaps a 
quarter of an inch deep, which formed a 
dam round the edge of the sieve, thus holding 
the pulp in the sieve. 

The paper stock in the tub was agitated 
by the paper maker who then dipped his 
mold into the agitated pulp, filling the mold 
up to the rim of the form round the wire 
sieve, then shaking the mold gently, the 
excess of pulp would run over the sides of 
the mold back into the tub and what pulp 
remained in the mold the paper maker con- 
tinued to shake and, while the water was 
straining through the sieve by the continual 
shaking of the mold, the pulp was being dis- 
tributed evenly over the surface of the sieve, 
thus forming a film on the wire sieve of the 
proper thickness for the sheet desired. Then 
the form which acted as a dam round the 
sieve was removed and the film of pulp was 
peeled from the wire sieve. The films of 
pulp, now sheets of wet paper, were then 
placed between layers of felt placed in a 
press and the excess water squeezed out and 
then hung up to dry. Later the sheets were 
dipped in a preparation of sizing which gave 
to the paper a surface on which the ink would 
not run. 



Making hand-made paper was an art and 
required great skill and judgment first in 
getting the pulp to just the right consistence 
and then in dipping from the tub just enough 
pulp stock to make the thickness of the sheet 
desired. You can readily see how delicate 
a process it was to make a ream of paper 
say 16x21 inches 16 lb. and in making 480 
sheets, which meant 480 separate dips into 
the tub of pulp and yet have the paper which 
was ordered 16 lbs. to the ream of 480 sheets 
not exceed in weight 16 J^2 or 17 lbs. per ream. 

As we have already said, the raw material 
of the envelope maker is paper, so as we draw 
the story of the envelope to a close, a few 
words about the early history of paper and 
paper making may not be amiss. 

The first paper-making machine installed 
in Holyoke, Mass., was at the Parsons Paper 
Company in 1854, and the first paper run off 
was shipped October 1, 1854, by Ethan 
Brooks. The Kneeland lay boy (the first 
ever installed) was attached to this machine 
in 1857. When Mr. Parsons as Manager of 
the mill made his plans to produce 3,000 to 
4,000 lbs. of paper per day he was looked 
upon as a visionary plunger and he person- 
ally told the writer that his friends told him 
he could never dispose of the product. The 
Parsons Paper Co. was organized in the sum- 
mer or early autumn of 1853. The acknowl- 
edged projector of the scheme was Aaron 
Bagg, who was the first and only President 
during his life. 



The following letter from George Sumner 
Barton, of Rice, Barton & Fales, Worcester, 
Mass., gives a description of this first paper- 
making machine installed at Holyoke, Mass. 

November 17, 1920 

Mr. James Logan, General Manager 
United States Envelope Company 
Worcester, Mass. 

Dear Mr. Logan : — 

I am in receipt of your letter of Novem- 
ber 15th. I cannot find among our old 
drawings, any drawing of the machine 
which we built for J. C. Parsons & Co. 
in 1854. I do find in our order book for 
that year a very meager description as 
to how the machine was built. 

According to our records the machine 
had a 62" wide wire, was fitted with six 
screen plates 10" x 30", the breast roll 
was 10" in diameter, there were two suc- 
tion boxes, a dandy roll, both couch 
rolls were 12" in diameter and two presses 
with rolls 12" in diameter. The rolls were 
of iron. The dry part consisted of four 
copper driers 28" in diameter, and 3 felt 
driers 12" in diameter. Brass paper rolls 
were located over the driers, eight in 
number, 5" in diameter. All the other 
felt and paper rolls about the machine 
were of wood. 

There is an entry on our record book 
that the machine was fitted with a "sizer 
with two wood rolls laid horizontally." 



I presume that this would correspond 
with what we now call a size press. 

The machine was also equipped with a 
revolving cutter with four sets of slitters 
and there also was a stuff pump furnished. 

There is a notation at the foot of the 
order in our order book, as follows: — 
"To be the best machine we have ever 
made." 

You will be interested, no doubt, to 
know that the price of this machine was 
$3,700.00; just about what it would 
cost today to buy a bottom couch roll 
for a 158" news machine. 

I am sorry our records are so incom- 
plete that I cannot give you any more 
definite information as to how the ma- 
chine was constructed. There is nothing 
at all in our order book to indicate how 
the machine was driven, but I presume 
was driven by means of an engine of some 
kind, with a flat pulley system of driving 
units. 

I hope that this information will be of 
some value and interest to you. 

Yours very truly, 

George Sumner Barton, 

Rice, Barton & Fales 
Machine & Iron Company 

The following historical data on the paper 
machine is taken from an address by Stuart 
D. Lansing, President of the Bagley & Sewell 



Co. of Watertown, New York, before the 
Paper Mill Superintendents Association at 
Niagara Falls, New York, January 8, 1921. 

"The first paper machine using a con- 
tinuous wire for forming a sheet of paper 
was patented in 1799 by Nicholas Louis 
Robert of France. 

"He turned the patents over to his em- 
ployer, a man named Didot. Didot did 
not push the matter except to interest one 
John Gamble, an Englishman, and 
Gamble in turn interested the great sta- 
tioners of the time and the largest paper- 
makers in England, Henry and Sealy 
Fourdrinier. 

"The Fourdriniers and Gamble took 
the machine to the Halls Engineering 
Establishment at Dartford, in Kent, 
England, which was in charge of a young 
man named Bryan Donkin. Bryan 
Donkin found a very interesting problem 
but one that had not been worked out, 
and he really is the first man to develop 
a machine for making paper. 

"Donkin worked with many trials and 
tribulations for about three years, at the 
end of which time, however, he did make 
a continuous, unbroken web of paper on 
the machine that took the name from 
his partners, the Fourdrinier Brothers. 
This machine was started about 1803. 

"It does not seem clear that Donkin 
managed to get driers on the machine 
until a very much later date. This is 
easily understood from the fact that the 



aim was to form a sheet of paper and go 
on drying it in lofts as with hand-made 
paper. 

"Somewhere in the neighborhood of 
1815 to 1817 Donkin developed copper 
cylinders to be used in drying paper 
directly on the machine. These were 
open on the ends, turning on journals 
which were part of a through shaft from 
the front end to the back end of the 
drier. Inside of the copper cylinder 
loosely hung from this shaft was a char- 
coal fire pan which did not revolve, 
equipped with grates, etc., in which was 
kept going a hot charcoal fire. 

"This cylinder would unquestionably 
get heated by this means, but very irregu- 
larly, and just how they managed to take 
care of the smoke and gas is a speculation. 

"The irregularity of heating of this 
cylinder, in this way, is apparent, and 
in a few years Bryan Donkin conceived 
the idea of closing up the ends of the 
cylinder and putting steam in same, 
thus heating the entire surface to some 
regular temperature, and that is the 
method which has been used ever since 
with varying means of bringing the 
steam in and getting the condensed 
water out. A little later Donkin added 
calender rolls so that by 1823 he had 
a Fourdrinier machine practically so 
far as fundamentals are concerned that 
we have today, and it was as late as 1823 
before a full-fledged paper machine was 
running in France." 

10 



Sample of 16 x 21—21 lbs. 

from the last run of paper made by Spicer Bros, Ltd., 
London, England, at their Sawston Mills, on the Four- 
drinier paper machine, set up by Fourdrinier himself over 
one hundred years ago. 

After this run of paper was finished the. old machine 
was consigned to the scrap heap, having served over 
one hundred years. 



"While Donkin was fussing and per- 
fecting his Fourdrinier, one John Dick- 
inson was doing the same thing with a 
Dickinson mold, and he made a paper 
machine, and it was Dickinson's machine 
which first came to America to the 
Brandywine Mill in Delaware, owned 
by a Mr. Gilpin. This was in 1817, and 
this machine did not have driers. 

"In 1827 the first Fourdrinier machine 
came to America. It was built by Bryan 
Donkin and was delivered in October of 
that year and set up at Saugerties, New 
York. In the same year another machine 
arrived during the month of December, 
and was set up at South Windham, Conn. 

"The first Fourdrinier actually built 
in this country seemed to have been 
built by a concern called Phelps & Spof- 
fard, in Philadelphia, Pa., having a wire, 
presses and driers. The next machine 
seemed to have been built at Brattleboro, 
Vermont. Then followed Goddard and 
Rice of Worcester, Smith & Winchester 
of South Windham, Conn. 

"There have been a good many builders 
since, but of those of the early days two 
stand out as really having added to the 
construction and development of the 
machine beyond any others of the older 
time builders, viz., Nelson Gavitt of 
Philadelphia, Pa., and I. L. Severns." 

The most momentous event in the paper 
industry was the invention of the Four- 
drinier machine, although the Fourdriniers 



spent over $300,000 in perfecting the idea 
and brought to such a complete success, that 
it has never been radically improved, yet 
financial ruin was their only reward. Their 
name attached to the most fundamental 
machine now in the industry is a sort of 
spiritual recompense. 

In connection with the Fourdrinier machine 
it is interesting to note that in July, 1920, 
the Spicer Bros., Ltd., London, England, 
paper manufacturers, at their Saws ton Mills, 
consigned to the scrap heap a Fourdrinier 
machine, erected by Fourdrinier himself 
over one hundred years ago and in their 
house organ "Notes for Buyers" they make 
this note of its passing: 

"Anno Domini had left its mark on the 
frame work and all concerned had come 
to the regretful conclusion that this old 
Sawston worker must rest, and another 
machine take up its tale in the world's 
work. It had done its work well. It had 
worked years before even the oldest em- 
ployee was born, and even at the last, 
broken in frame, as it was, its work was 
perfect. There were sad thoughts in the 
minds of some of its co-workers, when 
the dawn of the morning brought its life 
work to a close. 

"It was probably the oldest working 
paper-making machine in the country." 

Hand-made paper as a commercial proposi- 
tion is not made in this country at the present 
time. The last manufacturer to make hand- 

12 



Sample of 16 x 20—30 lbs. 

Cream Wove 

From one of the last lots of hand-made paper 

made by L. L. Brown Paper Co., Adams, Mass., 

U. S. A. 



made paper in this country was the L. L. 
Brown Paper Company, of Adams, Mass., 
and they discontinued its manufacture in 
July, 1907. 




Walter Norman 

who made the last hand-made paper 

for L. L. Brown Co., Adams, Mass., 

July 31, 1907 



The hand-made paper department of the 
L. L. Brown Paper Company was, and for 
years had been, in charge of the Norman 
family, who were all hand-made paper makers/ 
and at the time its manufacture was discon- 
tinued Mr. Walter Norman was foreman of 
the department. 

His father, Wm. Norman, was an English 
paper maker, who came to America from 
Wells, England, in 1880, and at one time six 
members of the Norman family were employed 
at the Adams mill. Wm. Norman learned 
the trade of hand-made paper making from 
his father, James Norman, in a mill near 
Exeter, England. Mr. James Norman and 
his brother for years made the Whatman 
drawing paper at Maidstone Mills, Kent, 



Sample of 19 x 24—44 lbs. 

Blue Wove 

From one of the last lots of hand-made paper 

made by L L. Brown Paper Co., Adam3, Mass., 

U. S. A. 



England. Mr. Walter Norman, son of Wil- 
liam Albert Norman, was born in Wells, Eng- 
land, March 29, 1870, and learned the trade 
from his father. 

The picture on page 14 was taken at the 
L. L. Brown Paper Co. mill in Adams, Mass. 
Walter Norman stands at the vat at the right, 
his brother, Ernest John Norman faces him 
in the center of the room, his uncle, Wm. 
Squires, is bending over the pile of paper, 
while his wife, Katherine Norman, is sorting 
paper at the window. 

In 1917, Mr. Norman told the writer of 
the day they stopped making hand-made 
paper. These four people were the interested 
parties. At that time he was thirty-seven 
years of age and had practically never done 
anything but make hand-made paper and 
now the world had run past him and he must 
begin again and learn a new trade. 

They all gathered round the vat while 
he made four envelope flats out of the pulp. 
They dried them on the steam pipes and each 
took one of them and he has his now. 

That noon he left North Adams and went 
to Boston, his one desire to be as far away 
from North Adams as possible, for this was a 
tragedy in his life. 

There is a party at Marlborough on Hud- 
son, New York, by name Dard Hunter, who, 
in his small mill, a cut of which is shown on 
page 16, makes hand-made paper for his own 
use and this is the only hand-made paper 
made in America at the present time, his 
product being about 500 sheets per week. 

15 



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16 



The decade which closed the nineteenth 
century was the great era of consolidation of 
the industries in the United States. 

On August 18, 1898, ten of the leading 
envelope factories in the United States were 
consolidated under the name of the 

United States Envelope Company 

No. Division Location 

1 Logan, Swift & Brigham 

Envelope Co. Worcester, Mass. 

2 United States Envelope Co. 

Holyoke, Mass. 

3 White, Corbin & Co. Rockville, Conn. 

4 Plimpton Mfg. Co. Hartford, Conn. 

5 Morgan Envelope Co. Springfield, Mass. 

6 National Envelope Co. Waukegan, 111. 

7 Morgan Stationery Co. Springfield, Mass. 

8 P. P. Kellogg & Co. Springfield, Mass. 

9 Whitcomb Envelope Co. Worcester, Mass. 
10 W. H. Hill Envelope Co. Worcester, Mass. 

The End 



17 



INDEX 



INDEX 

Abbe, James T., XXI, 15 

Ackerman & Miller, XIX, 6 

Allen Mfg. Co., XII, 25; XIX, 3, 4; XIX, 11, 12, 14, 
j.y, Ay) 'j Zi\. 

Allen Rotary Printing Press, XIV, 16; XVI, 18 20- 
XIX, 10, 14, 15, 19; XXII, 23 ' 

Allen, Stevens & Co., XV, 8 

Allen, B. F., XV, 8 

Allen, Edwin, XVII, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 26, 27 30 
32; XIX, 4, 6, 7, 10, 19, 21 

Allen Rotary Envelope Machine, XIX, 12, 13 

Ames Plow Co., IX, 43 

American Antiquarian Society, III, 14 

American Writing Paper Co., XVI, 27 

American Papeterie Co., XVI, 32, 33 

American Typefounders Co., XVII, 11 

American Steel & Wire Co., XVIII, 16 
American Society Mechanical Engineers, XVIII, 17 
Andrews, Mary, Raymond Shipman, VI, 16 
Anderson, Robert, XXII, 6. 
Ankele, Leonard, V, 15 
Ankele, Robert, V, 15, 16 

Appleton's New American Encyclopedia, XVII, 24 
Ailing & Cory, XXII, 5 
Armstrong, John, V, 14, XXII, 11 
Andross, Wm. W., XII, 20; XVI, 9 
Arnold Chain Dryer, IX, 13, 35, 36, 37 
Arnold, James Greene, IV, 14; V, 14; VI, 20; VII 7 
21, 22; IX, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 26| 
XXI, 23 

Black, Robert J., XVI, 47 

Baker, Chas., XV, 20, 24 

Ball, George, XXI, 17 

Ball, James, XXI, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 

Ball, James E., XXI, 17 

Balmain, XXII, 20 

Bartlett, Richard, XXI, 3, 4, 5 

in 



Bartlett, R. & S. Raynor, XXI, 3, 4 

Barber & Ellis Co., XXII, 7 

Barton, Edmund M., Ill, 14 

Barton, Judge Ira M., Ill, 14 

Barnes & Co., A. S., XV, 5, 13 

Bay State Envelope Co., IX, 3, 15, 17 

Blackhall, E. W., XXII, 6 

Bryant, Wm. Cullen, XV, 20 

Beaman, A. C, XXI, 18, 19 

Bell, George H., XXI, 22 

Beneke, Louis F., XXII, 17 

Berlin, Jacob, V, 7, 8 

Berlin, Henry C, V, 7, 8, 9, 10; XV, 20; XVIII, 17 

Berlin & Jones Envelope Co., V, 7, 8, 12, 22, 24, 26; 
VII, 8, 10, 13; XII, 22, 25; XIV, 7; XVI, 13, 14; 
XVI, 31; XVIII, 4, 10, 17; XIX, 15, 19, 21, 23, 
24, 26, 27; XXI, 13; XXII, 6; XXIII, 5, 7, 8 

Bergner, Theo., V, 14 

Belding Bros. Silk Co., XII, 20 

Bell & Gould, XVII, 24; XXI, 21, 22, 23, 24 

Brewer of Brighton, III, 8 

Brewer & Co., H. K., Ill, 12 

Brewer, John, III, 12 

Breck, Dr., XVI, 11 

Bishop's History of American Manufact'rs, XVII, 4 

Brigham, Fred C, XVI, 43 

Brigham, John S., IX, 42 

British Museum, III, 7 

Bingham, Lorenzo, XXIII, 4 

Birnie Paper Co., XVI, 31 

Bouvier, Louis P., XXI, 26; XXII, 6, 7, 8 

Bouvier & Hutchinson, XXI, 26; XXII, 6 

Bork, Wm. H., XXII, 5 

Bork, M. M., XXII, 5 

Bogue, David, IV, 12 

Byron, Lord, VI, 20 

Boynton, John, IX, 5, 6, 8, 9, 43 

Boynton & Whitcomb, IX, 14 

Boston & Worcester R. R., IX, 7 

Brown, XV, 18 

Bonney, A. L., XVI, 53 

Bullen, Henry L., XVII, 11 

Buffalo Paper & Warehouse Co., XXII, 3 

Burdick, Edwin L., XXII, 5 

Burdick Envelope Co., XXII, 5, 6 

Buffalo Envelope Co., XXII, 6 



Burnett, Bishop, III, 7 
Burke, E. W., XII, 42, 43 
Butler & Bryan, V, 12; XVIII, 4 
Buechner, H. E. S., XVI, 48, 49 

Carnegie, Andrew, III, 3, 4 

Chase, Stephen A., VI, 19 

Caloric Engine, IX, 17 

Carter, Rice & Co., IX, 41 

Clark & Co., J. H., IX, 42 

Carlisle Thread Co, XII, 20 

Chapin, Chester W., XII, 21; XVI, 5, 25, 26 

Chapman, Fred'k W, XII, 44, 45 

Chamberlih, Henry, XIV, 7, 22 

Chapman, Maro S, XIV, 25 

Chapman, Percival W., XIX, 33 

Castle, Henry M, XVI, 25 

Centennial Exposition, 1876, XVIII, 5; XXI, 14 

Clinton, Mass., XVIII, 13 

Clinton, Iowa, XVIII, 13 

Coleman E, IV, 15, 16, 18 

Cotton, W. W, V, 14; XV, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22; XVII, 

23; XXI, 5, 6 
Clothes Wringer (Swift's), IX, 22, 23, 24, 25 
Corbin, Lewis A, XII, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 24, 26, 46; 

XIV, 4 
Converse H, XII, 10 
Cook & Co, D. B, XV, 5 
Conn. Valley Historical Society, XVI, 4 
Cohen, Edw. E, XVI, 52 
Cohen, Henry, XXII, 19, 21, 23, 24 
Cooley, J. G, XVII, 10, 11; XIX, 6 
Cohen, Chas. J, XIX, 25; XXII, 19, 21, 23, 24 
Competition Unintelligent, XX 
Cooper, John W, XXII, 11 
Crockett's Court, XXII, 20 
Cluff, M. J, IX, 24, 25 



Dangerfield, William, V, 7, 8 
Daggett, Albert, XV, 17 
Davis & Wool worth, XV, 5, 7 
Day, Wm. O, XVI, 17, 41, 42 
Day, Robt. W, XVI, 40, 41 
Day, Francis A, XVI, 46 
Day, Edward H, XVI, 46 



DeValayer, III, 6 

De La Rue & Co., Ill, 12; IV, 4, 12; XVII, 25, 26 

De La Rue, Warren, III, 20; IV, 4 

Dennison Mfg. Co., IX, 27 

Dyer, H. K., IX, 28 

Deardon, John C, XVI, 25 

DeVinne Theodore L., XVII, 14 

Dempsey & O'Toole, XVII, 16; XVIII, 9 

Devoe, Chas. H., XVIII, 5, 6 

Dickinson & Co., John, XXII, 8 

Dourgea, Robert, XVI, 25 

Duff, J. B., V, 11, 23; VII, 8; XXII, 22; XXIII, 8 

Duff & Keating, V, 11, 14, 23, 24, 26; VII, 7, 9; IX, 

18; XV, 15, 21; XVI, 7, 8, 12; XXII, 22; XXIII, 

7 
Dunham, John, XVII, 7, 8 



Earle & Co., T. K., IV, 22 

Eaton, Hurlbut Paper Co., XVI, 31 

Eaton, Crane & Pike Co., XVI, 31 

Eames & Co., D. H., IX, 42 

Edwards, L. & E., XXI, 19 

Evans, John, XV, 12 

Estabrook Steel Pen Co., XV, 16 

Ely, W. G., XII, 25; XIX, 11 

Edison, Thomas A., XII, 40 

Edison Co., XVI, 19; XVII, 18, 19 

Elsworth Zouaves, N. Y., XVII, 31 

Exposition Panama Pacific, XIII, 6 

Eureka Clothes Squeezer (Swift's) IX, 22, 23, 24, 25 



Fairbanks & Co., J. L., Ill, 10 
Flanders Field, XI, 17, 18 
Fairchilds, Jarvis M., XXI, 19, 25 
French Envelope Machine, V, 10 
Fenner & Appleton, XIX, 29 
Fisher, F. H., XXII, 5 
Frink, Cyrus L., XVI, 7, 8 
Frink, Mrs. C. E., XVIII, 16 
Foster & Co., Calvin, V, 6; IX, 9, 18 



Graves, F. C, IX, 18; XII, 22; XIV, 7, 8, 9, 11, 26; 

XV, 21, 22; XVII, 22 
Grant, Sarah A., XII, 7 



Grant & Co., S. A., XII, 46 

Gray, Carl A., XV, 7 

Gray, C. W., XXIII, 14, 15 

Graham, John S., XV, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18: XVII, 17- 

XVIII, 9 
Glasgow Thread Co., XII, 20 
Geraghty, Chas. H., XVI, 51 
Geyer Stationer, XVIII, 12 
Gillespy, H., XXI, 27 
Griffin, Timothy, XVIII, 11 
Gillot Steel Pen Co., Joseph, XV, 16 
Goddard, Rice & Co., IV, 17, 19, 20; IX, 14 
Grout, Jonathan, IV, 22; XXI, 18 
Goodell, John M., IX, 29 
Gould, Ezra, XVII, 27; XIX, 7 
Goodale, E. W., XVIII, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 
Gould, Alexander Stephen XXI, 21, 22 
Gould, Irene, XXI, 22 
Gould, W. Reid, XXI, 22 



Hall, Capt. Basil, III, 12 

Hamilton Mfg. Co., XVII, 12 

Hartshorn & Trumbull, IV, 23; XV, 5; XXIII, 3 

Hartshorn, C. W. & Geo. F., IV, 23 

Hartford Mfg. Co., XIV, 6, 24; XIX, 8 

Harter, Frederick A., XVII, 19 

Hawes, Russell L., IV, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; V, 14 

XVII, 15; XXI, 24; XXIII, 3, 4 
Hawley Publishing Co., J. R., XVI, 8, 10 
Hegeman, Chas. F., XVI, 48, 49 
Hyde Park Exposition, III, 20; IV, 4, 8, 9, 12, 20 
Hill, Sir Rowland, III, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18; IV, 4, 5 
Hill, Edwin, III, 20; IV, 4, 5 
Hill, George Birkbeck, IV, 4 
Hill, De La Rue, IV, 6, 8, 9, 19 
Hill, Devoe & Co., IV, 23; XXIII, 3, 5, 14 
Hill, W. H., IV, 23; XXIII, 3, 4, 5 
Hill Env. Co., W. H., IV, 23; XXIII, 3, 14 
Hill Env. Co., W. H. Div., IV, 23; IX, 18; XV, 5; 

XXIII, 3, 6, 15 
Hicks, Oliver H, XVI, 51, 52 
Hitchcock, John F., XVI, 48 
Hill, Wade Hampton, XXIII, 4, 5 
Holt, Clark, XII, 20 
Holmes & Ely, XII, 25; XIX, 3, 20 

VII 



Hoe & Co., R., XIV, 7 
Holyoke Env. Co., XXI, 15, 16 
Hurlbut, Elizur S., XII, 7, 13 
Huntington, R. Thomas, XXII, 15 

International Exposition, London 1851, IV, 4, 8, 

9, 12, 20 
Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Co., IX, 16 
Iliff, C. W., XXII, 8 

Jewell, Hon. Marshall, XIV, 11 
Jewett & Co., E. R., XXII, 3, 4 
Jones, Geo. H., V, 12 
Jones, Col. Edw. F., V, 12 
Johnson, Mrs. Iver, IX, 16 
Johnson Cycle Co., Iver, IX, 16 
Johnson, R. B., XII, 23 
Johnson & Co., L., XVII, 5 

Karcheski, IV, 19 

Keating & Duff, V, 11 

Keating, T. W., V, 23 

Keating, J. M. D., V, 24, 25; VII, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; XVI, 9 

Kellogg, George, XII, 9 

Knee & Murlless, XII, 18 

Keeney, Frank, XII, 24, 25, 42 

Kellogg & Co., P. P., XVI, 4, 29, 45 

Kelley, Dan J., XVI, 50 

Kitchener, Field Marshal, XI, 8 

Lamb, III, 7 

Lamport, C. H., XXI, 19, 20 

Lane, C. J., XV, 7, 11, 12 

Laubscher, Martin, XII, 45 

Lawrence, Wm, XXIII, 4 

Lawrence, Mr., XIX, 28, 29, 31, 32 

Leavenworth, Wm., XVII, 11 

Lee, Charles, XII, 6 

Lever, Charles, III, 7 

Leonard, XII, 27 

Lester, Daniel M., XII, 25; XIX, 12, 20, 21, 22 

Lester & Wasley Co., XIX, 3, 4, 33 

Lester & Wasley, XII, 25, 26; XVI, 13, 14; XVII, 32; 

XIX, 3, 4, 12, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25; XIX, 26, 27, 

28, 29, 30, 31, 33; XXII, 23 



Lincoln, Abraham, VI, 19 

Lorrequer, Harrv, III, 7 

Low, W. H., V, 14 

Lodge, Hon. Henry Cabot, VI, 22 

Logan, Swift & Brigham Env. Co., IX, 13, 42; XVI 43 

Logan, James, IX, 41, 42; XX 

Lowe, Geo. H., IX, 41 

Logan & Lowe Env. Co., IX, 41, 42; XIX 27 

Lyon & Co., Wm. P., XII, 15, 17; XXI, 11 

Lyon & Raynor, XV, 15; XXI, 3, 5, 7, 8 

Lyon & Bro., Chas. H., XXI, 5 

Lockwood, W. E., & E. D., XXII, 9, 10, 11, 15 16 

Lockwood, Charles, XXII, 11 

Lockwood Folding Box Co., XXII, 11 

Lockwood Env. Folding Machine, XXII, 12 

Lockwood Mfg. Co., XXII, 12, 16 

Loring & Co., Josiah, III, 10 

Marshall, John E., XXII, 4 

Marshall, Charles D., XXII, 4, 5 

Maxwell & Co., E. N., Ill, 10 

Maclaren, Ian, VI, 23 

Martin, J. P., IX, 22 

Martin, Edmund F., XVII, 19 

Martine, John A., XVIII, 10 

Martin, William Irwin, XXI, 8, 9 

Martine, Marie Antoinette, XVIII, 10 

Merrick & Son, Samuel, XXII, 16 

McSpedon & Baker, XIV, 7, 14; XV, 14, 19, 20, 24; 

XVII, 23; XXI, 5. 
McSpedon & Robbins, XV, 14, 19 
McSpedon, Thomas, XV, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 28 
Merrill, O. K., XVI, 25 
Mercantile Corporation XVII, 16 
Meade, S. H., XIX, 12 

Middle West Supply Co., XVII, 16; XIX, 8 
McB. Dorris Fred, XXII, 6 
Morrill & Co., Geo. H., IX, 23 
Morgan & Co., R. L., IX, 45 
Morgan, Elisha, XII, 21; XIV, 25; XVI, 3, 5, 9, 

10, 11, 25, 26, 27 
Morgan & Co., E., XII, 21; XVI, 3, 6, 28, 31 
Morgan Env. Co., XIV, 13, 18, 23, 25; XVI, 3, 6, 

10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26, 29, 32, 34, 40; 

XVII, 16; XIX, 11, 21, 26; XXI, 15; XXII, 6 
Morgan Env. Co. Div., XII, 21 ; XIV, 32; XVI, 3, 43 



Moore, P. R., XII, 24; XIV, 4 

Moffatt, David H., XV, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 

Morgan, J. Pierpont, XV, 15; XXI, 9 

Morgan, Capt. Miles, XVI, 4 

Morgan, Tissue Div., XVI, 4 

Morgan, Fine Sta. Div., XVI, 4, 28, 45, 46 

Morgan Env. Co., "Old Guard," XVI, 24 

McCallum, Erastus, XII, 20 

Morgan, Chas. H., XVIII, 16, 17 

Morgan, XVII, 16; XIX, 11 

Museum, British, III, 7 

Murlless, Foundry, XII, 13, 18 

Murphy & Souther, XVI, 30 

Murphy & Co., John A., XVI, 30 

Murray, James R., XVII, 13 

Museum, U. S. Env. Co., XIX, 15 

National Papeterie Co., XVI, 29, 30 

National Blank Book Co., XXI, 19 

Negbaur, Louis, V, 13; XVIII, 4, 5, 21 

Nesbitt & Co., Geo. F., XV, 16; XVII, 3, 4, 5, 9, 
11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 
26, 28; XVII, 30, 31, 32; XVIII, 8, 9, 20; 
XIX, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; XXI, 23 

New York Times, XVII, 20 

New York Evening Post, XVII, 20, 27, 29 

New England Env. Co., XXIII, 15 

Niagara Env. Co., XXII, 4, 5 

Nichols, Elijah, XVI, 30 

Norton Door Check Co., IX, 43 

Nugent, Edward F., XVI, 47 

Ogilvie, Sir James, III, 7 
Orcutt, William R., XII, 8, 9 
Orcutt, Harry F. L., XII, 40 
Outlook Envelope, XVI, 22 

Page Wood Type Co., XVII, 10 

Parkhurst, W. E., XVIII, 14 

Parks, Robert, XXII, 11 

Packer Bros., XXII, 16 

Park, J. K., IV, 14, 15 

Park & Watson, IV, 14, 15, 17, IS 

Parsons, J. C, IV, 21; IX, 14 

x 



Parsons Paper Co., IV, 21; IX, 14; XII, 27- XV 14- 
XVI, 7 

Patents System, V, 18, 19 

Pratt & Whitney Co., XII, 33 

Payne & Co., W. E., XII, 46 

Panama Pacific Exposition, XIII, 6 

Papeterie Business, XVI, 28, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 39 40 

Pershing, John, XI, 9 

Perkins, Wm. M., XXI, 9, 10, 27 

Perkins Envelope Co., XXI, 10, 28 

Preble, Walter E., XXI, 25 

Pette, S. E., XXII, 10, 11 

Peterman, Wm., XXII, 11 

Penny Post Act, III, 15, 18 

Preble & Co., J. Q., XII, 17; XV, 15; XVI, 31; 
XXI, 10, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27; XXII, 7 

Prescott, Wm. H., XII, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 42, 45, 46- 
XIV, 4 

Prescott, Plimpton & Co., XII, 24; XIV, 3, 4, 9 

Prescott, James, XII, 46 

Printers Warehouse, XVII, 10; XIX, 6 

Pierce, F. G., XXII, 5 

Philadelphia & Reading Stationer, XXII, 17 
Pierson, V, 7 
Pitney, John, XII, 18 

Plimpton Mfg. Co., IX, 18; XII, 15, 22, 24; XIV, 3 
Plimpton Mfg. Co., XIV, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 
18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31; XV, 21; XVI, 
18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 33; XVII, 16, 22; XVIII, 9; 
XIX, 9, 11,21, 25, 
Plimpton, Linus B., XII, 24; XIV, 4, 11, 26, 31 
Plimpton & Co., L. B., XIV, 3, 4, 5, 8, 28 
Plimpton Env. & Paper Co., XIV, 4, 5, 8 
Plimpton, Frederick, XIV, 26 
Plimpton, James M., XIV, 31 
Plimpton, Oliver, XIV, 11 
Pittman, Edward, XIV, 22, 24; XIX, 8, 25 
Pierce, Mrs. Emily Robinson, XVI, 24 
Philatelic Gazette, XVII, 4, 27; XIX, 9 
Prosser, Charles, XXII, 4 
Postage Stamps in Great Britain, III, 18 
Postal Card Contract, XVI, 14 
Pope, George M., XVI, 25 
Powers & Bro., L. J., XVI, 28, 29, 33 
Puffer, Milton G., V, 14; XII, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 
18,21,22,23,43; XIV, 9; XV, 15; XXI, 6, 24 



Quackenbush, L. G., XVII, 4, 27; XIX, 9 

Raynor, Hiram, XXI, 5 

Raynor & Martin, XXI, 3, 9 

Raynor Envelope Co., XXI, 3, 9, 10, 28 

Ray & Taylor, XXII, 6 

Rabbate, V, 10, 12; XVIII, 3 

Rau, Martin, V, 15; XIV, 7; XVIII, 5, 6; XXI, 15 

Raynor & Co., Samuel, XII, 17; XIV, 7; XV, 15, 21, 

23; XXIII, 7,8 
Rau & Ankele, XIV, 7; XVIII, 5 
Rau & Ekstine, XIV, 7; XVIII, 5 
Rau, Emanuel, XVII, 22, 23, 24; XVIII, 6 
Raynor & Perkins Envelope Co., XIX, 15; XXI, 3, 4, 

10, 27 
Raynor, Wm. P., XXI, 3, 8, 10 
Raynor, Samuel, XIV, 7; XVII, 23; XX, 4; XXI, 

3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 15 
Raynor, Samuel & Co., XXI, 3 
Raynor, S. & Bartlett, R., XXI, 4 
Raynor, H. & S., XXI, 3, 5 
Reid, Mary, XXI, 22 
Reineman, G. L., XXII, 6 
Rheutan's Sealing Machine, XXIII, 11 
Rheutan's Double Machine, XXII, 12 
Rheutan, Isaac L., XXIII, 13 
Reliance Env. Machine, XXII, 7, 8 
Remond, IV, 12, 19 

Reay Folding Machine, XIV, 15; XVIII, 6 
Reay, Geo. H., V, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18; IX, 17, 

18, 27, 31, 32, 33; XII, 21; XIV, 7, 8, 9, 11; 

XV, 15, 16, 21, 22; XVI, 9, 11; XVII, 4, 16, 17; 

XVIII, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21, 23, 

24; XIX, 10, 26; XXI, 24; XXII, 22 
Rheutan, Abram A., IX, 18; XXIII, 7, 8, 10, 13 
Reay Stamping & Embossing Machine, XVIII, 23, 24 
Reay, Raphael Martine, XIV, 9; XVIII, 10, 11, 17, 

18, 19 
Reay, Marie Antoinette, XVIII, 18, 19 
Rice, Grantland, III, 6 
Rice, Barton & Fales Co., IX, 14 
Rich, Julius, XII, 20 
Richards, Francis H., XII, 32, 34, 40 
Richards Envelope Machine, XII, 34, 40 
Rice, B. F., XVIII, 16 
Richmond, Joseph, XIX, 28, 32 

XII 



Robinson, David W., XXI, 19 

Rogers, Mercy B., XII, 14 

Root, Cynthia, XII, 14, 15; XIV, 9, 10 

Rose, E. K., XII, 20, 24; XIV, 4 

Rockville Envelope Co., XII, 21; XIV, 7; XVI 5 9 

Rockville Hospital, XII, 45 

Robinson, Leo S., XIII, 19 

Robinson, Mrs. Jennie Slater, XVI, 24 

Roberts, R. H., XIV, 26, 27, 30, 32 

Roll of Honor in the War, XI, 19 to 119 

Russell, George A., XVI, 29, 30 

Shaw Co., J. G., XXI, 19 

Saugerties Mfg. Co., XXI, 27 

Spangler, E. J., XXII, 11, 17, 18 

Spangler, E. J. & Co., XXII, 11, 17, 18 

Spangler, Christian P., XXII, 17 

Spangler, Charles, XXII, 17, 18 

Stanton, Edwin M., VI, 19 

Stamped Envelope Works, XIV, 12 

Stamped Envelope Contract, XIV, 13, 16, 22, 23, 24- 

XVI, 18, 26; XVII, 16, 21; XVIII, 8 
Swain, H. Chapman, XIV, 32 
Slater, Wm. D., XVI, 6, 14, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 43, 44; 

XIX, 10, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32; XXI, 15; XXII, 6 
Stamped Envelopes Authorized, XVII, 21 
Stamping Machine, XVIII, 24 
Sheffield & Son, J. B., XXI, 24 
Sheffield, Wm. R., XXI, 25, 26 
Sheffield Mfg. Co., XXI, 26, 27 
Stevenson, Robt. Louis, VII, 2 
Sherman, John A., IX, 43 
Sherman Envelope Co., IX, 43 
Shelton, Edward, XII, 20 

Shelton & Andross, XII, 20, 21; XIV, 7; XVI, 5, 9 
Seymour Paper Co., XV, 16 
Spencer & Co., Thos. H., XVI, 6 
Seymour Bros., XVI, 13 
Sleigh, Wm. B., XVI, 42 
Spear, Joseph, XVII, 3, 4 
Sneden, John, XVIII, 10 
Stringham, Mrs. A., XXIII, 8 
Swift, Dean, III, 7 
Swift, Henry D., IV, 5; VI, 17; IX, 15, 19, 21, 27, 

28, 29, 42 

Swift, D. Wheeler, IV, 5; IX, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22, 27, 

29, 39, 42; XVI, 43 

XIII 



Swift, H. D. & D. W. f VI, 18; VII, 14, 17, 18, 20, 23: 

IX, 20, 30, 34, 37; XIV, 8 
Swift Chain Dryer, IX, 35, 36, 37 
Swift Round Table Machine, IX, 30, 31 
Swift Drum Dryer, IX, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40 
Swift Sealing Machine, IX, 32, 33 
Spiers, Mary, IX, 16 

Stickney, John N., XII, 7, 8, 24; XIV, 4 
Skinner, Francis, XII, 9 
Singer Sewing Machine, XIV, 22 
Sickles, General Daniel E., XV, 23, 24 
Springfield United Electric Light Co., XVI, 41 
Smith, L. F., XVI, 44 
Sickles, Gerhard, XVII, 22, 24; XXI, 23 
Scribner, Charles E., XII, 40 
Scott-Siddons, Mrs. XVI, 31, 32 



Talcott, George, XII, 9, 10 

Taylor & Mossman, XVI, 8 

Taylor, Nichols & Co., XVI, 30 

Taylor, John E., "Deacon", XVI, 30 

Taylor Mfg. Co., XVI, 31; 

Taylor, Atkins & Co., XVI, 31 

Treat, Horace, XII, 18 

Tvner, George N., XXI, 15 

Tibbs, John, IV, 12 

Thompson, Terrv, XII, 20 

Thompson, Elihu, XII, 40 

Toilet Paper Department, XVI, 16, 40, 46 

Towne & Dodd, XXI, 18, 19 

Tobev, Samuel, XXII, 9 

Tobey, Caleb S., XXII, 9 

Turnbull, Sir William, III, 7 

Trumbull, Joseph, IV, 23 

Trumbull & Waters, IV, 23; XXIII, 3, 5 

Tucker, Chas. R., VI, 19 

Turner, Lizzie, XII, 23 

Turner, John, XIX, 11 

Tucker, Risley, XXII, 5, 6 

United States Envelope Co., V, 5, 6, 15; IX, 13, 
44, 45; XII, 16, 21, 24, 27, 33, 41, 42, 47; XIV, 
26, 31, 32; XV, 5; XVI, 4, 17, 21, 26, 40, 42; 
XIX, 10, 15; XXI, 27; XXIII, 13, 15 

United Stamp Co., Herald, Chicago, XVIII, 23 

XIV 



Unintelligent Competition, XX 
Union Envelope Co., XXIII, 13 

United States Stamped Env. Co., XVI, 18; XVII, 15, 
16, 17 



Vandome, XXII, 4 

Vines, John, XXI, 16, 17 

Volker & Felthousen, XXI, 26; XXII, 7 

Washburn & Moen Mfg. Co., XVIII, 16 

War Record, XI, 19 to 119 

Waterloo, Sir Henrv, XIX, 32 . 

Waterlow, Sidney H, XXII, 15 

Watt, James, III, 3 

Wafers, the Use of, III, 11, 15 

Watson, C. S., IV, 14, 15 

Waters, Lucius, IV, 23 

Waymouth, Thomas V., VII, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 

15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 35, 36, 37; XII, 

22, 25; XIX, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 26; XXI, 13; 

XXIII, 15 
Wakefield, Sylvanus, XII, 12 
Wasley, F. R., XII, 25; XIX, 20 
Waterlow & Co., XII, 33, 40 
Wells, Darius, XVII, 11 
Wheeler, Justice, XVIII, 11 
West, Wm. G., V, 8, 9 ' 
West & Berlin, V, 9, 12; XVIII, 3 
Westinghouse, George, XII, 40 
Weston, Edward, XII, 40 
Window Envelope, XVI, 22 
Wight, Emerson, XVI, 25 
Winter, Edson P., XVI, 45 
Wilson, George A., XVI, 52 
Whittemore, M. M., XIX, 12 
Wickersham Nail Co, XIX, 20 
White, E. C, XXIII, 8 
Whitcomb, George Henry, V, 5; IX, 44 
Whitcomb Envelope Co, V, 5; IX, 3, 41, 42, 43, 44; 

XXIII, 14 
Whitcomb, David, V, 5, 6; IX, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 18, 43, 44 
Whitcomb, Margaret Cummings, V, 5 
Whitcomb Env. Co. Div, V, 6; IX, 3, 34, 35 
Whitcomb & Co, Geo. Henry, VII, 14; IX, 3, 9, 

15, 18, 19, 27, 32, 33, 41, 42; XIV, 8 

xv 



Whitcomb, Henry E., IX, 44, 45 

White & Stickney, XII, 3, 8, 11, 13, 24 

White & Corbin, XII, 3, 7, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 

22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 46; XV, 14, 15; XXI 

6, 12 
White, Corbin & Co., XII, 3, 26, 31, 32, 33, 42, 44 

XIV, 4, 7, 8, 9 
White, Corbin & Co. Div., XII, 3, 26, 41, 42, 47 

XVI, 5 

White, Cyrus, XII, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 18, 26, 28, 29, 30 

XIV, 4 
White, Corbin, Bouve & Co., XII, 46 
Wilson, President Woodrow, XI, 7; XIII, 5 
Wilson, Kitchener and Pershing, XI, 6 
Wickham, Horace John, XIV, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 

22, 23, 24; XVI, 19, 20 
Whitney Arms Co., XIV, 14 
Wickham, Clarence Horace, XIV, 21, 22; XVI, 19, 

20,21; XIX, 8 
Wickham Folding Machine, XIV, 17, 18, 19, 20 
Whiting Machine Co., XVI, 7 
White, James, XVII, 19 
Woolworth, Calvin C, XV, 3, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 

18,20 
Woolworth & Graham, XV, 3, 13, 14, 16, 18, 21, 22; 

XVII, 17, 23; XVIII, 9 
Woolworth, Ains worth & Co., XV, 3 
Woolworth & Moffatt, XV, 5 
Wood, F. L., XVI, 49 

Wolf Bros., XXII, 24 
Wood, Harry M., XXIII, 15 
Working Hours in N. E., 1862, IV, 7 
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, IX, 5, 43 
Worcester Horse Railroad Co., IX, 42 
Woodford, E. H., XII, 43, 44 
Wood, Harry J.,, XIV, 31, 32 

Young & Co., Edward, XVII, 4 



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